PGN April 8 - 14, 2016

pgn Philadelphia Gay News

Apr. 8-14, 2016

LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

Vol. 40 No. 15

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

Commemorative 40th Anniversary Issue Highlighting History: 40 years, 40 stories

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com In one sense, 40 years is a relatively short time. But, for a community beginning to come into its own, four decades can mean a world of change.

At the time when PGN started, the concept that LGBT people even constituted their own community was just beginning to really take off; today, LGBT people are out, visible, active members of every sector of society, and our community is a thriving, diverse and ever-evolving entity.

Over the last 40 years, our community’s priorities have changed; our rights have prevailed, been stripped and prevailed again; our language has shifted and continues to shift; our organizations have opened, closed and changed; our political might has been proven; our role in society has been challenged, fought for, earned and solidified.

PGN has had the privilege of having a front-row seat for these past 40 remarkable years. In this, our 40th-anniversary issue, we look back at our biggest story of each year — tracing the highs, lows and many monumental moments that have made up our LGBT history.

1976: Gay Pride Week proclamation

Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp became the first governor in the nation to proclaim Gay Pride Week. Shapp’s June 9 proclamation noted that, “Since emerging from anonymity, gay men and women have devoted much time and effort in educating the general public. Gay men and women seek equal rights in employment, in housing and in the law. As governor, I hereby express my support for equal rights for all minority groups and for all those who seek social justice and dedicate Gay Pride Week to those worthy goals.”

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives summarily passed a resolution condemning Shapp’s proclamation.

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News Briefing Justice calls for review of Porngate Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Debra McCloskey Todd recently urged two state boards to review “Porngate,” a scandal involving judges and attorneys who exchanged homophobic, transphobic, racist and misogynistic emails.

Todd said the state Judicial Conduct Board, which investigates judges, and the state Disciplinary Board, which investigates attorneys, should initiate reviews of the scandal.

Neither board had a comment for this report.

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane uncovered about 1 million emails pertaining to the scandal and recently hired an outside attorney to lead a comprehensive probe of them.

Former state Rep. Babette Josephs lauded Todd’s call for independent reviews.

“I congratulate Justice Todd for her clear-sighted and correct statements,” Josephs said. “People in public office who

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

enjoy viewing sexist, racist and homophobic porn on their government-owned computers have violated the public trust in a most serious way. Judges, justices and prosecutors who waste their time and the public’s money ought to be rooted out and fired.”

Discovery dispute settled in sex-abuse case A discovery dispute has been settled in the case of Rhonda Miller, who claims her son was sexually abused by a former Boys & Girls Clubs of Germantown counselor.

Miller claims that Percy Outland inappropriately touched her son during a field trip to the Kimmel Center last May. Outland allegedly followed the 12-yearold boy into a restroom at the center and attempted to have sexual contact with him.

The Boys & Girls Clubs asked Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge John M. Younge to order Miller to produce documents and provide answers to questions pertaining to the matter.

Miller’s attorneys recently agreed to provide the materials. A March 30 order from Younge reflects the agreement, said Raheem S. Watson, an attorney for Miller.

Outland, 40, is charged with simple assault, unlawful contact with a minor and related offenses. He remains free pending the outcome of a trial, which hasn’t been scheduled.

Miller is seeking more than $5 million in damages, according to court records.

— Timothy Cwiek

HIV/AIDS advocates recognized Seven people will be recognized at the Wow Awards April 15 for their “tremendous contribution to the HIV/AIDS service community.”

The event takes place from 6:30-11 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel, 1612 N. DuPont Highway in New Castle, Del. An after-party runs until 2 a.m. The event has a 1970s disco theme.

Guests will have a buffet dinner, along with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets cost $125 and the money supports services provided by the Delaware HIV Consortium. Guests can also take advantage of a special price to stay overnight at the Clarion with breakfast included. The cost is $109.

Awardees include Ronald Johnson of AIDS United, Karen Kane of Highmark BCBS, Sister Christa Rowe of House of Joseph II, Sal Seeley of CAMP Rehoboth, Walgreens registered pharmacists Lisa Skedzielewski and Lucy Somers and Christiana Care nurse practitioner Chris Zebley.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.delawarehiv.org.

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PA to ban LGBT bias in contracting On Thursday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to issue executive orders that seek to close gaps created by the state legislature’s lack of action on LGBTinclusive nondiscrimination legislation.

State law prohibits discrimination in public and private sectors on the basis of such factors as religion and race but efforts to include LGBT protections have long stalled. Wolf told a Pittsburgh radio station Wednesday he will issue an executive order to prohibit LGBT discrimination in state contracting. He will also re-issue an order adopted by former governors banning LGBT discrimination in state hiring.

Wolf did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Though these are important steps in banning some discrimination in the workplace, LGBT Pennsylvanians still face discrimination in private industry, in housing and business services,” said Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin. “These executive orders underscore the need for comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation, and we encourage the legislature to act on the Fairness Act.” Gov. Milton Shapp first instated an order in 1975 banning sexual-orientation discrimination against state employees, which Gov. Ed Rendell extended in 2003 to include gender identity. n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Families Come In Many Different Forms Pennsylvania now offers same sex couples the same marriage benefits afforded to heterosexual couples, which includes provisions to dissolve civil unions, domestic partnerships and same sex marriages, whether or not the ceremony/license occurred in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.

As a result, same-sex married couples are now subject to the same laws as heterosexual married couples; which means they can take advantage of the many benefits associated with marriage, as well as be subject to the same obligations that accompany marriage.

Stark & Stark’s Family Law group helps two-parent families, same-sex couples, single parents, multi-generational families, foster families and those related not by blood, but by love.

Regardless of the form the family takes, our first concern is to achieve security for all families and to put the interests of the children first. Our goal is to develop creative and effective solutions to protect LGBT families in partnership, estate planning, adoption, and parentage matters.

Our family law attorneys are well known and respected in this field. Our broad experience in this and other areas of family law helps ensure that our clients’ rights are well-protected in agreements and documents that we draft or negotiate. Our reputation and experience in the field and our willingness to take contested matters to trial often enables us to obtain favorable settlements for our clients.

Megan E. Smith, Esq. • Shareholder, Stark & Stark Family Law Group • mesmith@stark-stark.com www.Stark-Stark.com • 1-800-53-LEGAL • 777 Township Line Road, Suite 120, Yardley, PA 19067 • Follow Us:

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 years in PGN

Weekly features

News&Opinion 2 — News Briefing 10 — Creep of the Week Editorial 11 — Mark My Words

Street Talk

AC &

79 77 86 92 78

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C o l u m n s

Family Portrait Scene in Philly Out & About Q Puzzle Comic

12 — Out Money: Help with your HSA 85 — Get Out and Play: Masterbatters

Classifieds 93 — Real Estate 98 — Personals 99 — Bulletin Board

Next week Outward Bound

17 20 25 28 30 36 42 46 50 54 58 59 60 62 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 73 77 79 85

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Looking back at PGN number 1 and the offices over the years Our take on the top story every year from 1976-2015 Memorable moments from across the years Day in the Life of the PGN staff The history of the Gayborhood and looking into the future Fast facts and numbers Changes in advertising, printing and distribution The stories told through our archival photographs Awards and recognition 40 Years Ago in PGN The legacy of the state council on LGBT issues PGN staffers through the years Four decades, four summaries Editors leave their own marks Talking to some staff from the past The 40-year adventure of writer Tim Cwiek When meeting Mr. Right came from the classifieds Don Pignolet tells the story of the purple boxes Reprint of a heartwrenching AIDS story Moments of time in AIDS history Evolution of our community’s organizations The entertainers who’ve graced our pages A retro Scene in Philly Family Portrait: PGN publisher Mark Segal Get Out and Play with the Masterbatters

PGN 505 S. Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA 19147-1506 Phone: 215-625-8501 Fax: 215-925-6437 E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Web: www.epgn.com

Publisher Mark Segal (ext. 204) mark@epgn.com Executive Assistant/ Billing Manager Carol Giunta (ext. 202) carol@epgn.com

Editor

Jen Colletta (ext. 206) jen@epgn.com Staff Writers Paige Cooperstein (ext. 215) paige@epgn.com Larry Nichols (ext. 213) larry@epgn.com Writer-at-Large Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) timothy@epgn.com

Advertising Manager Greg Dennis (ext. 201) greg@epgn.com

Advertising Sales Representative Prab Sandhu (ext. 212) prab@epgn.com Office Manager/ Classifieds Don Pignolet (ext. 200) don@epgn.com

Art Director/ Photographer

Scott A. Drake (ext. 210) scott@epgn.com 267-736-6743 Graphic Artist Sean Dorn (ext. 211) sean@epgn.com

National Advertising Rivendell Media: 212-242-6863 Philadelphia Gay News is a member of: The Associated Press Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Suburban Newspapers of America Published by Masco Communications Inc. © 1976-2016 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-5155

Copyright © 1976 - 2016 Copyright(s) in all materials in these pages are either owned or licensed by Masco Communications Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliate companies (Philadelphia Gay News, PGN, and it’s WWW sites.) All other reproduction, distribution, retransmission, modification, public display, and public performance of our materials is prohibited without the prior written consent of Masco Communications. To obtain such consent, email pgn@epgn.com

The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned “Editorial” col­umn. Opinions expressed in bylined columns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial representations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that named or pictured person or persons.

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Creating Change seeks four co-chairs for Philly conference

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

115 T H A N N U A L STUDENT EXHIBITION May 13 - June 5

TASK AT HAND: Representatives of National LGBTQ Task Force met with members of the local LGBT community March 31 at William Way LGBT Community Center. The Task Force previewed its plans for the Creating Change Conference, which will be held in Philadelphia in January. The conference is the largest annual gathering of LGBT activists in the nation. Organizers are looking for volunteers, including four local event co-chairs. Photo: Scott A. Drake

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Creating Change, the nation’s largest LGBT conference, is looking for four people from the Philadelphia region to serve as co-chairs of the event that’s heading to the city in January. The deadline to apply is April 11.

“We are committed to putting together a team that is representative of the LGBTQ communities of Philadelphia,” said Sue Hyde, director of Creating Change at the National LGBTQ Task Force. “It will be a race-mixed team, an age-mixed team and a gender-mixed team.”

She addressed about 30 people gathered March 31 at William Way LGBT Community Center to kick off planning for the 2017 conference. The first official host committee meeting will take place in four or five weeks, Hyde said.

Those interested in a co-chair position should email Hyde at shyde@thetaskforce. org. Each applicant will participate in a one-hour phone interview with members of the Task Force, who will pick the co-chairs.

Hyde said the co-chairs have to be experienced team builders, able to facilitate monthly meetings and lead large volunteer operations, and be available for bi-weekly phone meetings with Task Force staff leading up to the conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

Each co-chair will oversee four subcommittees on the host committee for Creating Change. Volunteers are needed to form the 16 subcommittees that cover everything

from fundraising and programming to local outreach and hospitality.

Hyde said some committees finish their work earlier in the year, like programming, the group responsible for soliciting workshop proposals. That work is expected to be done by the fall. Hospitality committee members will be active even during the conference, recruiting volunteers to run hospitality suites at Creating Change from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. each of the five days.

Hyde said the Task Force is also looking for no-cost community housing for 75 people. Community housing improves accessibility to the conference, she said, adding most of the money generated by the local fundraising committee covers the cost of food and beverage for the hospitality suites.

The host committee in Chicago for the most recent conference raised $40,000.

Hyde said the Task Force would like to see Philadelphia beat that benchmark.

Russell Roybal, deputy executive director of the Task Force, said it costs about $900,000 to put on Creating Change. The Task Force subsidizes the conference after generating about $750,000 in revenue through fees, sponsorships and ad sales in the program book.

Creating Change has reached out to Comcast about sponsoring some of the conference in Philadelphia.

The 2016 conference drew more than 3,500 participants to 1,200 hotel rooms.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Sue Hyde at shyde@thetaskforce. org. n

Marcelle Reinecke (MFA ’15), Lukewarm Vinyasa (detail)

View and purchase over 1,000 great works of art at affordable prices by the next generation of contemporary artists.

128 North Broad Street, Philadelphia pafa.org/ase

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

State seeks dismissal of trans lawsuit

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com

‘ANONYMOUS’ NO MORE: Ain Gordon shared details about his new play inspired by the papers of Dr. John Fryer at “The (Musical) Spark in My Life” March 31 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The event examined how music and religion impacted Fryer, a psychiatrist and early LGBT-rights activist. Fryer’s speech as “Dr. Henry Anonymous,” which he delivered to the American Psychiatric Association with a bag over his head, is credited with prompting the agency to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness. Gordon’s “217 Boxes of Dr. Henry Anonymous” premieres next month at Painted Bride Art Center. Photo: Scott A. Drake

State officials want a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed on behalf of a Delaware County transgender man who seeks Medicaid coverage for a hysterectomy.

In a March 31 pleading, state officials claimed the suit lacks merit and urged U.S. District Judge J. Curtis Joyner to dismiss it.

“John Doe” is diagnosed with gender dysphoria and seeks Medicaid coverage for a medically necessary hysterectomy, according to a lawsuit filed in February.

But state health officials refuse to cover the procedure, noting that according to state regulations, treatments for gender dysphoria aren’t covered in the state’s Medicaid program.

The named defendant in Doe’s suit is Theodore Dallas, secretary of the state’s Department of Human Services.

In his 17-page pleading, Dallas said the state’s Medicaid program doesn’t cover many procedures prescribed by physicians due to limited funds. “[M]any other safe, effective and warranted services are not covered in the Pennsylvania [Medicaid] Program, or other state programs, although such services may be prescribed by an individual’s treating physician as needed by the individual,” Dallas asserted. “In the absence of a federal requirement, state policy makers, as stewards of the

public fisc, must make difficult decisions in the allocation of limited resources, even when their own personal preferences would be to allow coverage for particular services or treatment for some or all individuals.”

Dallas acknowledged that Pennsylvania receives some federal funding to support its Medicaid program. But he claimed the federal Affordable Care Act doesn’t mandate coverage for gender-dysphoria treatments.

Moreover, the act doesn’t preclude discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression, or the failure to conform to the sex and gender stereotypes associated with one’s anatomical sex, according to Dallas’ filing.

State officials had no comment for this story.

In a prior statement, Gov. Tom Wolf indicated his support for Medicaid coverage for gender-dysphoria treatments. But Wolf also said he “hope[s] to have a robust conversation with the [state] legislature, community and all other parties regarding this issue to move the commonwealth forward.”

Julie Chovanes, an attorney for Doe, expressed optimism that Pennsylvania eventually will cover gender-dysphoria treatments in its Medicaid program.

“I’m optimistic that it’s simply a matter of time before the state regulations are found to be in violation of federal law,” Chovanes said. “Until that happens, we’ll proceed ahead.” n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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Bills would limit police transparency

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Two bills pending in Harrisburg would delay or prevent the release of the names of police officers involved in use-offorce incidents. But some civil-rights, police-oversight and open-records advocates object to the measures.

HB 1538 and SB 1061 remain pending in the state Senate’s law and justice committee.

The measures were introduced by state Rep. Martina White (R-Phila.) and state Sen. John C. Rafferty Jr. (R-Montgomery County), respectively. White’s bill was passed in the state House.

Both bills would prohibit the release of names of officers involved in a use-offorce incident until an internal probe has concluded.

If an officer is criminally charged, his or her name could be released. If the officer isn’t charged, his or her name could be released if no physical harm would result to the officer or the officer’s immediate family.

Rafferty’s bill provides criminal penalties for violators, but White’s bill doesn’t.

Neither legislator had a comment for this story.

Supporters of the bills cite an “anti-police” mentality present in society. Increased precautions are needed, they contend, to help officers do their jobs without fear of physical harm.

In Philadelphia, the names of officers who discharge weapons are routinely released within 72 hours of the incident.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania objects to the bills, said Andy Hoover, legislative director for the group.

“We don’t think any municipality in Pennsylvania should have a gag order from the state legislature,” Hoover told PGN. Transparency is important in police matters, Hoover added.

“The ACLU of Pennsylvania advocates for erring on the side of transparency in these situations. That’s what’s best for police-community relations. We are actively working to stop these bills.”

Hoover acknowledged that, in some circumstances, delaying the release of an officer’s name may be necessary.

“There may be individual circumstances

where local authorities think it’s better to not release an officer’s name,” he said.

“But that’s their call. That’s not a decision to be made by politicians in Harrisburg.”

Asa Khalif, head of the Pennsylvania chapter of Black Lives Matter, echoed Hoover’s sentiments.

“In a democracy, people must be held accountable, and that means identifying anyone who kills,” Khalif said. “Especially police, because they’re held to a higher standard. They’re public servants and they work for us.”

K halif cited the Nizah Morris incident among several cases in Philadelphia that demonstrate the need for police transparency.

“We cannot allow the police to be above the law,” Khalif said. “There has to be transparency and accountability for officers who use questionable force.”

Kelvyn Anderson, executive director of the city’s Police Advisory Commission, said the PAC opposes both bills.

“Transparency of thousands of police actions — not just shootings but any investigated use of force — and the officers who

“We don’t think any municipality in Pennsylvania should have a gag order from the state legislature.”

take these actions should not be solely conditioned on proving or disproving threats,” Anderson said. “These bills were created with negligible input from any groups except police unions — and it shows.”

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association also opposes the bills.

“The identity of officers involved in a shooting or use-of-force incident, as well as the basic facts surrounding such incidents, are critical to the public’s understanding of law-enforcement actions,” said Paula Knudsen, PNA’s legislative counsel.

Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenney, said the administration is studying both bills.

“The mayor doesn’t believe that Harrisburg should be managing our police force,” Hitt said in an email. “He believes the standard set by [former Police] Commissioner Ramsey is appropriate.”

Hitt was asked if Kenney will comply if either bill is enacted into law.

“The city will comply with all lawful requirements applicable to the city,” Hitt said. “We have not examined the bills carefully enough to offer an opinion as to their specific legal effect and will be studying them with our legal and legislative staff, as they proceed through the legislative process.” n

Now that’s good news.

Philadelphia Media Network congratulates the Philadelphia Gay News on their 40th Anniversary Celebration.

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Community still facing same issues, says COLOURS founder on 25th anniversary

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com

Being yourself is just being human.

Everywhere.

Every day.

We’re with you.

Congratulations PGN on 40 years!

Michael Hinson called the 25th-anniversary celebration of The COLOURS Organization bittersweet.

“It’s exciting the organization has survived,” said Hinson, who founded the group in 1991 for LGBT people of color.

He now serves the organization in a consultant capacity as needed. “I’m excited about the possibilities for the future of the organization. But some of the same issues we were struggling with 25 years ago, we’re still struggling with today.”

Hinson spoke at COLOURS’ anniversary event March 30 at William Way LGBT Community Center alongside Mark Wilson, COLOURS executive director, and Nate Pace, a facilitator of the Men of Color United group at the organization.

The event kicked off with about 20 people in attendance, but swelled to more than 60 as the panel discussion got underway.

It concluded with a chicken dinner and socializing.

“The turnout was great,” Wilson told PGN. “I like the fact that Mike was able to tell a lot of stories.”

Hinson shared how COLOURS grew out of a desire among the black gay community to see themselves reflected in media.

He helped create COLOURS as a magazine and shared some favorite early features like “Dr. Feel Good,” an advice column that tackled sex and relationships, and “Brother X,” which covered opinions on an array of issues from politics to religion.

The magazines were distributed through-

out Southeastern Pennsylvania and mailed as far away as bookstores in California.

Soon readers started writing letters about the need to meet in person and COLOURS the organization took shape.

“We wanted to share our family lives, our struggles and our advocacy,” Hinson said. “In some ways, we are more together now than we’ve been. But we still have the elephant in the room, which is our lives are seen as less important than some other folks’ lives.”

Pace said two challenges that he would like COLOURS to overcome going forward have to do with recognition in the broader LGBT community and getting LGBT people of color to volunteer and come together in service of a common vision. He said he’d also like to see groups that could be attended by lesbians, gay men and transgender people of color, instead of having separate meetings.

“Success to me means quality of lives are improving,” Hinson said, noting COLOURS and other LGBT organizations should put particular emphasis on homeless youth. “If we don’t get these young people off the streets, we give them away to people and systems that will abuse them.”

Wilson described his leadership style as one that “shoots for the stars.” In just over a year since becoming executive director, he has doubled the budget of COLOURS and soon will expand staff and programs at the organization. Wilson encouraged people to contribute to COLOURS in any way they could, whether it be through “time, talent or treasure.” n

THE COLOURS BOARD CELEBRATES THE ORGANIZATION’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY MARCH 30 AT WILLIAM WAY LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER. Photo: Paige Cooperstein

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

GOAL president, police LGBT liaison help celebrate Trans Day of Visibility

POLICE OFFICER JO MASON (CENTER) SPEAKS AT THE TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY EVENT MARCH 31 AT NORRIS SQUARE PARK Photo: Paige Cooperstein

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Jo Mason ticked off the reasons why Time Magazine declared a “transgender tipping point”: a transgender woman got to play a transgender woman on a television show; an Olympic athlete was able to come out on national news; people weren’t misgendering crime victims as frequently.

“That, for me, isn’t making it,” Mason told about 20 supporters celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility March 31 at Norris Square Park in North Philadelphia.

Equality Pennsylvania took the lead on organizing the event with the help of Naiymah Sanchez, coordinator of the TransHealth Information Project at GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization.

“Part of the Trans Day of Visibility isn’t us standing up asking to be a part of the community,” Mason said. “It’s us standing up and saying, ‘We are your community, and we have always been here.’”

“I am the person who spends hours with your children down at the Special Victims Unit,” said Mason, a transgender community member and police officer in the 14th District in Germantown. “I’m the person who spends the extra couple minutes with your family when you find out that someone’s passed away.”

Mason also serves as president of the Greater Philadelphia Gay Officer Action League, called GOAL. Deputy Commissioner Myron Patterson, who took over as police LGBT liaison in January, stood next to Mason during his speech. He held a sign that said “Proud Ally” over the transgender flag.

“For people who are allies, it’s important to stand up and say you are,” said Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs. “It’s important to learn every day how to be a better ally.

You’ve got to learn about all the other layers of oppression people go through. People can’t break through every barrier alone.”

Fitzpatrick read a proclamation from Mayor Jim Kenney recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility. She said

the day “summons all people to take action against prejudice and discrimination.”

Patterson told PGN he’s learning about the LGBT community in his new role as liaison, adding every police deputy serves as liaison to specific groups and he “readily filled” the LGBT post as part of his promotion at the beginning of the year.

“I’m still finding things out about the issues the community is facing,” he said, “whether it’s victimization down to prejudices they’re challenged with every day.”

Patterson said his first priority as LGBT liaison centers on awareness. He recently signed off on GOAL officers speaking later this spring at West Chester University.

“We want to bring more awareness through the police department with the LGBT community,” Patterson said, “and make sure our personnel at all ranks of the department are well-informed and, I keep saying it, aware of the LGBT community as a whole. We need to make sure we’re not seeing disparaging treatment.”

Patterson doesn’t have a specific project in mind yet, but said he expected that would develop over time through collaboration with the LGBT liaison committee.

Representatives from Equality Pennsylvania at Transgender Day of Visibility shared the importance of passing the Pennsylvania Fairness Act. The law would extend protections to LGBT people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation.

Sanchez of GALAEI addressed the need for better health-care coverage. She said hormone treatments can cost as much as $400 but with proper insurance coverage, the price drops to less than $100. But her insurance plan, like many others, doesn’t always cover hormones.

“We’re taking small steps to the bigger mountain,” Sanchez said.

The event concluded with seven black balloons being released in honor of the transgender people who have been killed in Philadelphia, starting with Nizah Morris in 2002 and ending with Maya Young last month. n

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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EDITORIAL AND PROFESSIONALISM 40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY

Creep of the Week

D’Anne Witkowski

Laurie Higgins

Editorial

What does PGN mean to staffers?

Carol: I would say PGN is my home away from home. As a straight Italian woman raised in South Philly by two very strict Italian-Sicilian parents, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be working in the LGBT community. I have learned so much working at PGN. First of all, I’ve embraced the community and consider myself part of an extended family. I can’t imagine working anywhere else and enjoying what I do. The staff is exceptional. We’re a close-knit family here at PGN and I love them all. Thank you for having me as part of your family.

Don: PGN has been family for me for 40 years. It’s the reason I get up in the morning and come in, day after day.

I’ve seen good and bad family over the years, but the one we have now is the best.

Greg: In life, there are places and experiences that you can never quite describe to people who haven’t experienced them first-hand; working at PGN qualifies as one of those. For me, it will always be a place that accepted and embraced me from my first day here, allowed me to do meaningful work with people that I care about and provided a lot of laughs along the way.

Jaleesa: PGN is home. Being pretty new to Philadelphia, PGN was the first thing I saw that made me feel safe, connected and comfortable. I’ve never seen an LGBT publication so readily available to the public and easy to find.

Not knowing a single person, I turned to PGN to help me figure out my way around town and also to get to know what was happening. Working here has really become my home away from home.

Jen: PGN started out as a job, my first straight out of college, and has become a driving force in my life. Apart from spending 40 hours a week within its four walls, PGN gave me a crash course in LGBT politics, LGBT history and the power of the LGBT community.

It showed me my strengths and weaknesses as a writer and editor. And most importantly, it gave me my own community of coworkers who have become more like family — by far the weirdest and wackiest I could have ever imagined, but also the most driven and devoted.

Larry: What PGN means to me is that there is still a place in the ever-changing digital world for an actual newspaper where people can take the time and the energy to tell as complete a story as possible and relay information to communities that often aren’t given the proper focus by the majority of physical and online publications.

Mark: PGN is a family of hardworking, dedicated individuals who understand our mission of giving a voice to all members of the LGBT community.

We work together every week to put out a paper that tells the stories that need to be heard, and we do that with a comPAGE 11

It’s almost that time of year again: April 15 is the annual Day of Silence, where students across the country choose to spend the day without speaking in order to call attention to antiLGBT bullying. This year, like every other, the anti-LGBT right is clutching its collective pearls at the very thought.

Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute is one such pearl-clutcher.

She, along with the usual anti-LGBT suspects, is encouraging parents to pull their kids out of school on DOS, lest they be indoctrinated with the message that it’s not OK to call a kid “fag” and push him down the stairs after gym.

“Parents should no longer passively countenance the political usurpation of public-school classrooms through student silence,” Higgins wrote on the IFI website.

Let me take a moment to point out that Higgins doesn’t really give a shit about public schools. The right has been undermining public education for years and supporting private schools where kids can learn that Jesus rode around on dinosaurs. You can go to the IFI’s website yourself and peruse the articles about education. Most of them are about how to keep transgender students out of locker rooms or how great homeschooling is.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which is responsible for the DOS, characterizes the event as “a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.”

Sounds like a worthy goal, right?

After all, LGBT kids do get bullied a lot, and the suicide rate for LGBT young people is heartbreakingly high.

But not for Higgins. She takes issue with the DOS because, as she claims, it’s not about preventing bullying but is actually intended “to undermine the true belief that homosexuality and cross-dressing … are immoral.”

It’s an interesting take on the anti-bullying event, as it implies that the only way to support “the true belief” that being LGBT is immoral is to continue to allow kids who bully their LGBT peers to keep operating with impunity.

Also, cross-dressing and being transgender are not the same thing. But hey, the suicide rate for trans youth is even

higher than the rate for LGB youth, so it’s extra nice that Higgins managed to bully them while making her point that bullying isn’t the real issue.

Higgins complains that groups like GLSEN aren’t actually interested in keeping LGBTQ students “safe,” a goal, she writes, “all decent people share.”

“The rhetoric of ‘safety’ … substitutes speciously for the more accurate term of ‘comfort.’ To suggest that in order for those who self-identify as homosexual (or ‘transgender’) to be ‘safe,’ no one may disapprove of homosexual conduct is both absurd and dangerous.”

I agree that such a thing would be absurd, except that such a thing is not actually a thing. Let me start with the issue of safety versus comfort. If a student does not feel comfortable at school because he or she faces persistent unchecked harassment and bullying, that can, and does, erode the quality of their education. Higgins seems to think that the very idea of being “comfortable” at school is a laughable luxury, when it really is fundamental to an institution of learning.

Also, to assert that “no one may disapprove of homosexual conduct” on the DOS is indeed absurd. For one thing, GLSEN includes in its DOS materials the fact that students who disagree with the DOS have a right to protest. But as GLSEN also points out, “Those who do not support the GLSEN Day of Silence often protest, but rarely contribute positively to finding ways to end anti-LGBT harassment.”

And that’s because those opposed to DOS aren’t actually interested in ending anti-LGBT harassment because they don’t want to even acknowledge that LGBT youth exist. DOS helps to make the invisible visible: the very real, very human LGBTQ students across the nation who are very much deserving of a safe and, yes, comfortable place to learn and grow. n

If a student does not feel comfortable at school because he or she faces persistent unchecked harassment and bullying, that can, and does, erode the quality of their education.

D’Anne Witkowski has been gay for pay since 2003. She’s a freelance writer and poet (believe it!). When she’s not taking on the creeps of the world, she reviews rock and roll shows in Detroit with her twin sister and teaches writing at the University of Michigan.

OP-ED AND PROFESSIONALISM 40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY

A 40-year PGN journey Last Friday I attended a meeting of the manager, never allowed anyone to get the National Gay Media Association, an orgabest of us. Don, who is still with us, has nization of the publishers of the LGBT that PGN spirit; nothing will deter us from legacy publications. At one point when our original mission. we came back from a break, Lynn Brown, That mission is simple: to be a source publisher of The Washington Blade, asked of information and platform for discusall to rise but me. She then sion of all sides of all issues in asked all the other publishers to our community. That has been toast me and PGN on our 40th trying at times when you have anniversary. to report on homeless LGBT Being honored by the best children, hate crimes, murders in LGBT media brought me and the toll that discrimination chills, and brought back a rush plays on individuals and famof memories. Today, PGN is ilies. It was never tested more the most-awarded LGBT pubthan when HIV/AIDS emerged lication in the nation. Now, it in the 1980s and we were writseems we win praise and honing about our very lives, how we ors wherever we go, but 40 were treated by the establishment and how we reacted as a years ago …

Our very own community community. didn’t believe a professional This newspaper is as great news publication was possias it is due to one factor: the ble for us, and the mainstream Mark Segal talented and dedicated people media organizations refused who are its family. When new us membership. We had very little money. employees join PGN, they quickly pick up Most businesses didn’t want to see their the spirit that this paper was founded on. names in our paper, so they didn’t give And each of them somehow along the way us financial support. The white supremafinds that spirit that Don found. They have cist magazine “Thunderbolt” put us on its all become part of a family that delivers a hit list. It was routine for us to get death newspaper to you each week that is comthreats, and one night a homophobic neigh- mitted, as our slogan states, to honesty, bor broke into our $1-a-month rental office integrity and professionalism. n and tore out our electric wiring and what Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s little plumbing we had. When we put vend- Mark most-award-winning commentator in LGBT ing boxes on the street, they were bombed, media. You can follow him on Facebook at cars ran into them and the doors where www.facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter torn off, but Don Pignolet, our distribution at https://twitter.com/PhilaGayNews.

Mark My Words

We want to know!

If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community. Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

EDITORIAL from page 10

mitment to professional journalism.

Paige: I joined PGN in the fall, when preparations for its 40th anniversary were already a well-established part of the conversation. One of my assignments for the milestone issue was to chronicle the paper’s coverage through the decades.

Having the excuse to comb through the archives, starting in 1976, was the perfect primer for me in moving from a legacy publication to “advocacy journalism,” as our publisher Mark Segal calls the paper in his memoir. It has really impacted me as a journalist to cover a dynamic community in Philadelphia.

Prab: The Philadelphia Gay News has enabled me to get a deeper understanding of our LGBT history and community. I’m

joyful of the milestones we have accomplished, and I’m very proud to call myself a member of our PGN family. Here’s wishing continued success for the next 40 years and beyond!

Sandy: PGN … Taught me about not just Philly’s dynamic LGBT community, but the world’s LGBT community. Taught me that patience, persistence and perseverance — and a generous helping of good humor — are the traits of a true activist.

Reaffirmed for me that the fight is very far from over, for this population and all marginalized populations. Reaffirmed for me that straight allies are valued voices in the community. Introduced me to the real movers and shakers of this town — because when they talk, the powers-that-be really do listen. Introduced me to a new group of hard workers, creative souls,

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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Street Talk What's the most important LGBT event of the past 40 years?

"Marriage equality.

Being a child of the ’70s, I never thought I'd see that, growing up.

I'm glad I'm living in a time when Alan Armijo the United tour director States has Boston, Mass. finally made this possible."

"Having positive LGBT role models on television.

Ellen [Degeneres], ‘Will & Grace,’ Rosie O'Donnell and Caitlin Rianna Berkowitz Jenner come business owner to mind. They Portland, Ore. paved the way for the rest of us to be who we want to be."

"I have to say Vermont passing civil unions in 2000.

Vermont was the first state to pass civil unions. I was in the eighth Skye MacLean grade. It teacher was a major Burlington, Vt. step towards equality. It was really positive for out students, and [for] their allies. It created open thinking."

"Hillary Clinton, the leading presidential contender, making LGBT issues a main part of her campaign.

She's Greg Uliasz bringing casting associate New York City LGBT issues to a new level. If Hillary Clinton wins, that will signify a major victory for the LGBT community."

witty watchdogs, good friends … Regular folks who often face irregular circumstances. Made me realize that, although I’m only here one day a week, I’ve been part of the family for exactly one-fourth of its existence. Happy birthday, PGN!

a tapestry, of our collective lives. I hope some day all of these moments recorded in the pages of PGN will be looked at in the William Way archives and serve as a time capsule of the early 21st century. Through PGN, all of us are a little immortalized — and that’s really cool.

Scott: Working at PGN gives me an extraordinary amount of community involvement and recognition that I never planned on or expected. Kay Lahusen asked me once for a print of a Prop. 8 protest photo and, while that was pretty humbling, also memorable was when Gloria Casarez called me the “chronicler of LGBT Philadelphia.” What I do is a huge part of who I am and there is no greater gift than getting to do what you love as your work. I feel that through PGN and the help of 10,000 of my closest friends in the community, I am creating a scrapbook,

Sean: PGN means always shining a light on issues that would otherwise go ignored and a consistent commitment to fair and even-handed coverage.

Tim: For 40 years, PGN has been the newspaper of record for the Philadelphiaarea LGBT community. It’s been an important source of news that otherwise wouldn’t be available. On a personal level, it’s offered an opportunity for self-expression that’s been very rewarding. For that, I’ll be forever grateful. n

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Understanding health savings accounts Q: I recently started at a new job and am reviewing the health plan options for me and my partner. They offer a health-savings account option combined with a high-deductible plan, which is much cheaper than the other plans.

Can you please explain what these are?

fund your health-care costs.

HSA specifics

A: First, congratulations on the new job. Selecting the appropriate health plan for you and your partner is very important. Typically, the health-savings account/ high-deductible plan option is best-suited for those in very good health, otherwise the “high-deductible” part may become expensive. Here’s what you need to know about these plans:

Out Money

Health-savings accounts (HSAs) are tax-preferred savings accounts set up in conjunction with high-deductible health insurance policies that are used to fund qualified medical expenses. Enrollees or their employers make tax-free contributions to an HSA, then use the funds typically to purchase medical care until they reach their deductibles. But HSAs are not for everyone and it helps to fully understand how they work before considering them as a viable option to help

Jeremy Gussick

You are eligible for an HSA if you meet these four qualifying criteria: • You are enrolled in a qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP).

• You are not covered by another disqualifying health plan (whether insurance or an uninsured health plan).

• You are not enrolled in Medicare.

• You are not a dependent of another person for tax purposes.

HSAs are generally available through insurance companies that offer HDHPs. Many employer-sponsored health plans also offer HSA options. Although most major insurance companies and large employers now offer an HSA option under their health plan, it’s important to remember that most health-insurance policies are not considered HSAqualified HDHPs. In fact, the IRS has set limits as to what qualifies as an HDHP. For 2016, a plan can only be considered an HDHP if its deductible is at least $1,300 ($2,600 family). So make sure to check with your insurance company or employer to see if an HSA plan

option might apply.

The maximum contribution to an HSA for 2016 is $3,350 if you have single coverage, or $6,750 if you have family coverage. If you are over 55, then you can contribute an additional $1,000 in 2016 regardless of whether you have single or family coverage. Such contributions are made on a before-tax basis, meaning they reduce your taxable income. Note that, unlike IRAs and certain other tax-deferred investment vehicles, no income limits apply to HSAs. HSAs offer investment options that differ from plan to plan, depending upon the provider. What’s more, HSA account balances carry over from year to year, unlike their predecessors, medical savings accounts (MSAs), which contained a “use it or lose it” feature that severely limited their usefulness for most people.

Earnings on HSAs are not subject to income taxes.

Any ordinary medical, dental or health-care expense that would qualify as a tax-deductible item under IRS rules can be covered by an HSA. A doctor’s bill, dental procedures and most prescriptions are examples of covered items. See IRS Publication 502 (https:// www.irs.gov/publications/p502/) for a definitive guide of what costs are covered. If funds are withdrawn for any other purpose than qualifying healthcare expenses before age 65, you will

Contribution and Out-of-Pocket Limits for Health Savings Accounts and High-Deductible Health Plans1

be required to pay taxes on amounts withdrawn plus a 20-percent additional federal tax. Once you reach 65, you can use HSA money to pay for non-medical expenses, but you will still owe taxes on the withdrawal.

In summary, HSAs can offer significant benefits for some situations, but may not fit your specific needs. n Jeremy R. Gussick is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional affiliated with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer.* Jeremy specializes in the financial-planning needs of the LGBT community and was recently named a 2015 FIVE STAR Wealth Manager as mentioned in Philadelphia Magazine.** He is active with several LGBT organizations in the Philadelphia region, including the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund and the Independence Business Alliance, the Philadelphia region’s LGBT chamber of commerce. OutMoney appears monthly.

If you have a question for Jeremy, you can contact him via email at Jeremy@ RetirementRefined.com. LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor.

Member FINRA/SIPC. *As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 1996-2015, based on total revenues. **Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers.

This article was prepared with the assistance of Wealth Management Systems Inc. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor. Please consult me if you have any questions.

Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by Wealth Management Systems Inc. or its sources, neither Wealth Management Systems Inc. nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall Wealth Management Systems Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers’ or others’ use of the content.

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse.

You can quit.

CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

#CDCTips

HIV alone didn’t cause the clogged artery in my neck.

Smoking with HIV did.

Brian, age 45, California

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Panel tackles how to help women succeed in business

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Never say you’re sorry, Gail Ruopp told a room of more than 50 people gathered March 29 at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

“Women have a tendency to over-apologize,” said Ruopp, executive director of the law firm Flaster Greenberg. “The better thing to say if you made a mistake is, ‘We’ll fix it. I hear you.’

To say I’m sorry is like saying a four-letter word. Just get it out of your vocabulary.”

The third-annual Women in Business Panel hosted by the Independence Business Alliance, the region’s LGBT chamber of commerce, featured the theme “From Partnerships to Power: Women in Business Today.”

“I have a slightly different perspective,” said Katherine Sprissler-Klein, deputy director

of community engagement with Philabundance. “When you’re building a movement, you have to be vulnerable.

“You have to highlight vulnerability when you’re selling a good or a service to someone who will never receive it,” she said, noting she has to cull donations to stock the Philabundance food bank that feeds 750,000 hungry people in the region. She formerly worked as the major-gifts officer for the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C. Jazzy Gray-Sadler, who moderated the discussion, said their differences could be explained by the fact that one works in a forprofit environment while the other is in a nonprofit.

“That’s what you’re hearing from these ladies who are hugely successful in their own right with regards to the type of corporations they work for,” said Gray-Sadler, CEO of Gray-Sadler Enterprises

and producer of LesBe Real Radio Talk.

Also on the panel were Jennifer Vrana, a 25-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department who helped form the Gay Officers Action League in the region; and Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s first transgender physician general.

Every woman on the panel agreed that mentorship was the best thing women could do for each other in the workplace. They said it’s important to seek out younger female professionals and help them on their paths.

Gray-Sadler started the evening by talking about three glass ceilings she faced when she began working in Philadelphia more than 25 years ago: her gender, race and sexual orientation.

Vrana acknowledged 2016 as the 40th anniversary of women working in Philadelphia law enforcement. When she joined the

Judge orders arbitration in antibias case

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A Philadelphia judge has ordered confidential arbitration in the case of Alfred W. Zaher, an openly gay attorney who claims he lost a job at the Blank Rome law firm due to anti-LGBT bias.

On April 4, Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Gary S. Glazer ordered arbitration for six of the seven counts filed by Zaher against Blank Rome. The counts that must be arbitrated include civil conspiracy, failure to pay funds owed to Zaher, wrongful conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, interference with Zaher’s livelihood and breach of an agreement.

Glazer held in abeyance one count — injunctive relief to stop Blank Rome from disparaging Zaher — until arbitration is concluded for the other counts.

Zaher worked at Blank Rome from 200614, but left after coworkers allegedly disparaged him and tried to steal his clients.

Zaher claims his problems were due to anti-LGBT bias. After he went to another firm, Blank Rome continued to harass him and withhold money owed to him out of “spite,” according to Zaher.

He filed suit in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, seeking more than $50,000 in damages. But now, the case will be heard by a three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association.

In court papers, Blank Rome officials argued that a partnership agreement signed

by Zaher required that the dispute be resolved by arbitration.

In a March 31 reply brief, Zaher maintained that his claims belong in Philadelphia

Common Pleas Court. Zaher’s filing contended he’s is in compliance with a partnership agreement he signed as an attorney at Blank Rome.

“Zaher has been in full compliance with terms of the partnership agreement,” the filing states. “It’s Blank Rome that’s consistently violated the ‘letter and spirit’ of the agreement.”

Zaher’s filing also notes that he tried on multiple occasions to negotiate with Blank Rome in good faith, to no avail. Instead, Blank Rome officials allegedly threatened to drive up litigation costs if Zaher contested his treatment at the firm, according to Zaher’s filing.

“Blank Rome’s own refusal to negotiate, mediate, arbitrate or even discuss any issue in this case is the reason it finds itself before this court today,” the filing adds.

Zaher’s filing described Blank Rome’s treatment of him as “brutal,” “malicious” and “pernicious.”

After Glazer’s ruling, Blank Rome issued this statement: “Mr. Zaher’s departure from the firm was entirely unrelated to his involvement in the LGBT community. For more than 70 years, Blank Rome has remained committed to diversity and inclusion, and is proud of its distinguished record in that regard. In fact, on March 29, Blank Rome was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign with an award as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality, achieving a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index in acknowledgement of our policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality.”

Attorneys for Zaher had no comment for this story. n

force in 1990, she was one of four women. Within five years, Vrana said, there were more than 30 women in her district.

She said she was out as a lesbian at work, but didn’t talk about it a lot. Now, her colleagues make suggestions for her to consider as she plans her wedding.

“I feel there is no ceiling right now in law enforcement,” Vrana said. “If you want to make change, change comes from within. You get hired, you get on the job and you create policies or you change the policies and you work your way up doing that.”

Levine acknowledged how people treated her before and after her transition, which she said happened slowly over 10 years while she worked at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Levine said she didn’t run into any glass ceilings when her name was Richard and she was a Jewish white male physician.

NEWS BRIEFING from page 2

Dance party to benefit Mazzoni Center The second-annual ChariTdance will take place April 16 on the second floor of Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. The illuminated dance party featuring house music, called Spring Fever, starts at 10 p.m. with a cocktail hour. The dance floor opens at 11 p.m.

It costs $10 to attend and half of the proceeds go to the Mazzoni Center. Drink specials include $5 for Absolut Redbulls and Jack and $3 for Miller Lite.

For more information, search “ChariTdance presents: Spring Fever” on Facebook.

PCOM hosts first trans symposium for health professionals The Pennsylvania College of Osteopathic Medicine is hosting a transgender medicine symposium for healthcare professionals. It’s the first time the college has focused a continuing medical education program on transgender issues.

The symposium runs from 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. April 16 at Valley Forge Casino Resort, 1160 First Ave., Upper Merion.

It covers topics from puberty-blocking hormonal therapy and surgery for trans men and women to ethical delivery of services. There will also be a panel discussion on the role of primary-care providers working with transgender people.

“My family was deathly afraid I would be fired [after transitioning], which unfortunately you can be in Pennsylvania, or that I would be marginalized,” Levine said. “I was accepted; in fact, I was welcomed.”

She said she didn’t expect Gov. Tom Wolf to appoint her as the state’s physician general, but she was happy to take on the demanding task, especially since her children have gone to college.

“Even after my transition, I have been tremendously fortunate,” Levine said, while bringing people’s attention to the many murders of transgender women in recent years. Last year, at least 23 transgender women were killed in the nation, representing a record high.

“At the same time that I have been fortunate, we have to remember the struggles and challenges that other members of our community have,” she said. n

It costs $250 for physicians; $150 for physician assistants, psychologists and therapists; and $100 for nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers and other health-care workers. PCOM fellows, residents and students pay $25. All other fellows, residents and students pay $50.

The symposium is run in partnership with the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

For more information or to register, contact Linda Miller, the CME coordinator at PCOM, at 215-871-6348 or lindam@pcom.edu.

Swing dance fundraiser supports Planned Parenthood Young Advocates of Philadelphia invite folks to “Swing into Spring” with their annual fundraiser for Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The event takes place 7 p.m. April 16 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. Tickets cost $25 for students, $30 for individuals or $50 for a pair. At the door, entrance is $35.

The fundraiser has a swing-dance theme with music from the 1950s and contemporary hits. It will feature an instructor from Philly Dance Fitness and Ballroom Bliss. There will also be a photo booth and light refreshments.

Dr. Timaree Schmit, a sexologist who runs the website Sex with Timaree, plans to attend and talk with the guests.

For more information, search “Young Advocates Annual Fundraiser: Swing into Spring!” on Facebook. n — Paige Cooperstein

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

REVEALING THE MASKED MAN WHO INSISTED HOMOSEXUALITY WAS NOT A DISEASE

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND PICK UP PERFORMANCE CO(S) WITH PAINTED BRIDE ART CENTER PRESENTS

217 BOXES OF DR. HENRY

ANONYMOUS

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY AIN GORDON LAURA ESTERMAN VIDEO & LIGHTING DESIGN

NICK RYCKERT

WITH

DEREK LUCCI PRODUCER

KEN MARKS

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ALYCE DISSETTE

ED FITZGERALD

OPENING NIGHT MAY 5, 2016 POST- PERFORMANCE RECEPTION CO-HOSTED BY WILLIAM WAY COMMUNITY CENTER AND EQUALITY FORUM

MAY 5 – 7, 2016 | 8:00 PM 1972: Dr. John Fryer dons an oversize tuxedo and rubber joke shop mask to become Dr. Henry Anonymous and confront the American

PAINTED BRIDE ART CENTER

paintedbride.org/events/217boxes Box Office: 215-925-9914

Psychiatric Association with these words: “I am a homosexual, I am a psychiatrist.” This new play combs Fryer’s 217-box archive, unearthing three figures from his life; asking each to draw a portrait of the man behind the mask.

Major support for An Artist Embedded has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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The team behind PGN, Volume 1

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com “With the publication of the first issue of the Philadelphia Gay News, a whole new dimension has been added to Philly’s gay community and, in fact, to the city’s publishing industry in general,” PGN’s then-editor and co-owner John Keith Clark wrote in the paper’s inaugural Jan. 3, 1976, edition.

“The gay community has matured in the past few years,” added then-coowner, business manager and founder Mark Segal, “and when a community matures, it needs a mature communications medium. I think the Philadelphia Gay News will be that medium for our community.”

The pair, along with general manager Jim Austin, got that first paper off the ground and onto the streets, opening a new era of LGBT journalism in Philadelphia.

So what did the folks who

produced that first issue — put together in a makeshift office at an employee’s apartment — bring to the table?

According to a staff-introduction article in the inaugural edition, Segal’s activist background would help the company raise the profile of the LGBT community.

“With the cheek of a Saul Alinsky, the commitment of a Ralph Nader and the energy of a Martha Raye, he’s gotten more press response — locally and nationally — than perhaps any other gay activist in the country,” the article stated.

Clark brought an extensive journalism background: He wrote for the Denver Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and LGBT publications like The Advocate and Pittsburgh Gay News.

He was also the founder and first administrator of the Eromin Center and helped form the Philadelphia Gay Switchboard.

Other inaugural staffers included: • Entertainment columnist DuMontHoward: theater critic with Gay Alternative, University of Pennsylvania student and founding member of Gays at Penn and the Gay Coffeehouse • Contributing writer Janet Cooper: former Shippensburg instructor (who “caused a minor scandal on campus by coming out”) and member of the Pennsylvania Commission on the State of Women and the Governor’s Task Force on Gay Rights • Distribution manager Bill Martin: member of Gay Activists Alliance of Philadelphia • Bar columnist Joe Venuti: former owner of bar Oz • Political reporter Harry Langhorne: former president of Gay Activists Alliance of Philadelphia, member of the screening committee for the Governor’s Task Force on Gay Rights • Harrisburg bureau chief

Jerry Brennan: founder of Harrisburg’s Gay Community Services and member of the Governor’s Task Force on Gay Rights • Staff photographer Harry Eberlin: photo credits ranging from Gay to The Advocate to The Drummer • Contributing writer John Zeh: writer for The Advocate and The Drummer and WMMR radio reporter, with his own show, “Sunshine Gaydream,” on WXPN-FM • Calendar and resource compiler Bill Haught: “intrepid disco dancer, restaurant-goer and purveyor of things up and coming” • News writer Karen Martin: “hard-nosed reporter” and volunteer for the Gay Switchboard • Features writer Denise Keiller: journalist who wrote for mostly straight publications • Contributing writer Richard Rusinow: writer for The Advocate and Gay n

PGN On the Move

254 S. 11th St. - (1983-1995)

233 S. 13th St. - a former Laundromat and later a fortuneteller’s space (1976-1983) 2/26/2016

S 4th St - Google Maps

S 4th St

2220 Spruce St. - First editions of PGN were put together at an employee’s apartment

505 S. Fourth St. - (1995-present)

1108 Spruce St. - (1983)

Image capture: Jun 2014

© 2016 Google

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Street View - Jun 2014 https://www.google.com/maps/place/505+S+4th+St,+Philadelphia,+PA/@39.9424805,-75.148987,3a,75y,109.64h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m4!1sZR9K1LrxHACvTWBsZ6SHLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x864bd4a8d14a7b7b!6m1!1e1

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Highlighting History: 40 years, 40 stories 40 YEARS from page 1

1977: Nondiscrimination efforts flourish

As Anita Bryant went on a national campaign against gay rights, advances were made for gay-inclusive nondiscrimination legislation locally. Temple University adopted a gayrights ordinance Feb. 7 and locals gathered twice at the Gay Community Center that month to discuss — and ultimately reject — a watered-down version of a proposed citywide gayrights ordinance. At the state level, the Pennsylvania Department of Education mandated “affectional or sexual preference” in the nondiscrimination policies of all 14 state colleges. And at the federal level, Sen. Ted Kennedy came out for gay-inclusive federal nondiscrimination legislation.

1978: Gay man murdered

Frankford baker Robert Riebow, 18, was arrested for the late 1977 killing of Robert Asman, a banker and community leader who was involved in such groups as LGBT Catholic organization Dignity. Riebow contended he killed Asman in self-defense and stole his belongings because he “didn’t want anyone to know” he went to Asman’s apartment “voluntarily, because he was a homosexual.” He was convicted of murder June 7 and sentenced to life in prison.

are considered to be matters of morals are subject to debate and no sufficient state interest justifies the legislation of norms simply because a particular belief is followed by a number of people.”

1981: ‘Gay cancer’ emerges

On June 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a lung condition affecting five gay men in Los Angeles. This was the first known report of what would become the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which, in that first year, was given names like “gay cancer” and “Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Disease.”

1982: Philly gets a gayrights law

Philadelphia’s long-awaited gayrights law was swiftly passed with little fanfare in the summer. City Councilmember Lucien Blackwell quietly introduced the legislation — which added sexual orientation to the classes protected from discrimination in the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance — June 30. A committee approved it July 27 after unanimous support from 55 speakers at a hearing. It sailed through Council Aug. 5 in a 13-2 vote, with only Councilmembers Joan Krajewski and Harry Jannotti in opposition. Mayor Bill Green did not sign the bill but allowed it to become law without his approval Sept. 9.

1983: Eromin Center controversy

1979: National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights

Up to 100,000 people from around the United States and 23 countries participated in the Oct. 14 rally in the nation’s capital.

Participants called for federal gayrights legislation, among other demands, in what was characterized as the “largest gay assembly” in American history. The event was star-studded, with one of the loudest cheers for out poet Allen Ginsberg.

1980: PA anti-sodomy law overturned

On May 30, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the state’s “voluntary deviate sexual intercourse” statute, which prohibited sodomy among individuals who were not “husband and wife,” was unconstitutional. The 4-3 ruling was seen as a big win for gay rights, although it was prompted by a suit from patrons of a heterosexual adult theater who were arrested. In his opinion, Supreme Court Judge John Flaherty said, “Many issues that

the ensuing months, the city launched an audit of the organization’s finances and subsequently suspended its city contract. By early 1984, the center laid off nearly all of its staff and its members voted to shutter the organization. It officially closed in March 1984.

1984: Mayoral commission launches

Shortly after taking office, Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode announced his intention to create a Commission on Sexual Minorities to address LGBT issues. He launched a committee in January to lay the groundwork for the unit and issued an executive order Feb. 23 creating the body. The commission was comprised of 17 members, including 10 LGBT community members and seven representatives of city departments. It was co-chaired by Lisa Bacon and Len Bost.

1985: Police indictments

A federal grand jury indicted six Philadelphia police officers for extorting money from four local gay bars and a bathhouse.

The indictment contended the officers accepted money in exchange for allowing the bars — Rainbows, Steps, the DCA Club and Odyssey — to serve liquor after hours and to permit Back Street Baths to “operate without harassment.” Two of the officers were found guilty that summer.

1986: Two trans women brutally murdered

The bodies of South Philly residents Tina Rodrigues, 27, and Tanya Moore, 31, were found July 3 in trash bags in a ravine off Trenton Road in Bucks County. Both of the trans women had been severely beaten, burned and dismembered, their legs cut off and one had been shot.

The next month, investigators released the sketch of two men whose car passersby said the victims got into at 13th and Sansom streets. In December, U.S. marshalls arrested Center City cab driver Donald Jennings in Brooklyn on unrelated robbery charges, and identified him as a suspect in the women’s murders. It is unknown if he ever was charged in the case.

1987: AIDS funding, programming expand Scandal grew after the board of the Eromin Center, which provided mental-health services for sexual minorities, fired its executive director, Tony Silvestre, Aug. 29. The board later cited “financial-management problems” and went on to fire its administrative director, Lisa Segal. A wide-ranging PGN investigation, which earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination, found the agency owed back taxes of more than $50,000 and was facing an IRS lien. The center’s members voted out the board’s executive committee in September. In

There was a concentrated push for expanded resources to combat the spread of AIDS this year. In the summer, Philadelphia City Council held a hearing on prevention efforts, and in July Mayor W. Wilson Goode allocated $1 million for the creation of the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office. The city also received

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$790,000 from the federal government to fight AIDS. Also in July, Health Commissioner Maurice Clifford and Police Commissioner Kevin Tucker issued separate directives for medical and emergency personnel on interacting with AIDS patients. In the fall, the state authorized $3.3 million in funding for AIDS, nearly 10 times the budget proposed by then-Gov. Robert Casey.

eral people reported that police were physically and verbally abusive to protesters. Police Commissioner Willie Williams created a seven-member advisory board to examine the incident. Protesters filed a federal suit against police the following month, and settled early the next year for $76,000.

1988: Anthony Milano trial

Seventeen men and one juvenile were arrested Aug. 23 at Schuylkill River Park, a popular gay-cruising spot at 25th and Spruce streets known as Judy Garland Park.

Police scoured the park and arrested anyone present after the 1 a.m. curfew. The sting was characterized by many in the LGBT community as antigay, prompting the threat of a federal lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. Gay-rights leaders met with Police Commissioner Richard Neal about the arrests and the issue of gay sex stings.

John Eastwood, a hair stylist who had a roster of well-known clients at Pierre and Carlo’s at Bellevue Hotel, was found murdered Oct. 29 in his Old City townhouse. After not reporting for work, the 53-year-old was found nude, with a leather belt around his neck. Police at first contended Eastwood died accidentally during “strangulation” sex, which outraged his family and friends, who said the case was being improperly investigated because Eastwood was gay. His death was later ruled a homicide. In May 1996, police arrested Eastwood’s friend, Victor Cartagena, for murder; the charges were later downgraded to involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in 1997 and was sentenced to 11-and-a-half to 23 months in prison.

At least eight gay men were murdered in the Philadelphia area in the spring and summer of 1989. Three suspects were ultimately arrested, with one, South Philly resident Arnold Mulholland, 22, charged with three of the murders: Tracy Griffin, 24; Allen Munchweiler, 61; and David Johnson, 58. Investigators said Mulholland, who called gays “sick,” targeted men who were looking for sex, robbing and killing them in their Center City apartments. About 250 gays and allies marched through Center City Sept. 22 in a “Save Our Streets” rally to protest antigay violence. Mulholland pleaded guilty in 1990 and was sentenced to life in prison.

1993: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ written into law

1996: State, federal DOMAs instated

1990: Movement on hate crimes

1994: City agrees to landmark AIDS ruling

Frank Chester and Richard Laird were convicted May 20 in the grisly 1987 murder of Bucks County artist Anthony Milano.

Prosecutors say the men lured Milano from a tavern and viciously beat him to death because he was gay. Chester’s attorneys blamed Laird, and Laird’s blamed Chester during the weeklong trial. Jurors deliberated for 13 hours on the guilty verdicts and 11 hours the next day before sentencing both to death. Laird remains on death row after numerous appeals, while Chester’s sentence was recently downgraded to life imprisonment.

1989: Rash of gay murders

For the first time, a Pennsylvania House committee approved gay-rights legislation. In a 14-2 vote Feb. 6, the House Judiciary Committee approved Rep. Babette Josephs’ legislation to add sexual orientation as a protected class in the state’s hate-crimes law. The bill was tabled in the spring by the full House, which voted June 26 118-80 against the measure.

1991: Explosive anti-Bush protest

About 7,500 people gathered outside The Bellevue Sept. 12 to protest an appearance by President George Bush.

Protesters — who included members of ACT Up, National Organization for Women and reproductive-rights groups — attempted to staged a “die-in” to demonstrate lives lost to AIDS. Eight individuals were arrested, and sev-

1992: Gay sting in Judy Garland Park

About 100 gay-rights advocates and allies protested July 21 outside the Liberty Bell in response to the growing movement for a written policy regulating military service by openly gay Americans. Rita Addessa, executive director of the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force, said, “We are here because we stand against bigotry.” The demonstration included participation by openly gay veterans. Despite backing open service, President Bill Clinton issued a compromise directive, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Dec. 21 that forbade military service by openly gay individuals.

Following a federal lawsuit from an HIV-positive man, the City of Philadelphia agreed to a consent decree in March with the U.S. Department of Justice that instated groundbreaking protections for people with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed the suit on behalf of a local student, who collapsed at school.

The man, identified as John Smith, said Philadelphia Fire Department personnel refused to touch him after learning he was taking AZT, telling him to put himself on a stretcher. The settlement ordered the city to pay Smith $10,000 and issue a written apology. The city also agreed to train all 2,300 fire-department employees on HIV transmission and patients’ privacy rights, and instate a written policy banning HIV/AIDS discrimination by emergency personnel. The agreement was announced less than a day before Tom Hanks won the

Academy Award for his role in the groundbreaking HIV/ AIDS film “Philadelphia.”

1995: Prominent stylist murdered

Legislation to ban samesex marriage successfully worked its way through the state and federal government bodies nearly simultaneously. On May 8, state Rep. Allan Egolf (R-Perry County) introduced a marriage-ban bill, with 38 cosponsors. The state House adopted the legislation in a 177-16 vote June 28; the Senate followed Oct. 2 with a 43-5 vote.

The House had to cast another affirmative vote Oct. 7 on the slightly amended bill, making Pennsylvania the 16th state to outlaw same-sex marriage through statute.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its own Defense of Marriage in a 342-67 vote July 12, followed by an 85-14 Senate vote Sept. 10.

1997: AIDS Ride controversy

Three local HIV/AIDS agencies and a fundraising company agreed to pay $134,000 to settle claims that they violated state laws when soliciting donations for the 1996 PhiladelphiaD.C. AIDS Ride. The parties involved were ActionAIDS, AIDS Information Network and Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives, as well as fundraising group Pallotta TeamWorks. The settlement followed a yearlong investigation by the state Attorney General, who contended organizers solicited donations prior to being fully compliant with state requirements. About 2,100 people participated in the June 1996 bike event, raising about $1.7 million, though only about $260,000 went directly to the AIDS charities involved.

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40 YEARS from page 21

1998: Philly adopts ‘life partner’ benefits

After a multi-year fight, Philadelphia passed comprehensive life-partnership legislation May 7. The packet of three bills, adopted in a 10-6 vote, granted health and pension benefits, as well as real-estate tax exemption, to same-sex couples who registered as life partners with the city. Mayor Ed Rendell signed the legislation May 19. The vote came after strong pushback from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Cardinal Anthony Bevilaqua sent hand-delivered letters to Council Feb. 10 urging them to oppose the legislation, and the archdiocese hosted a series of planning workshops at local churches to mobilize supporters. About 100 people testified both for and against the legislation in an April 22 hearing, which drew a crowd that filled Council chambers and two other galleries.

1999: Suicide of pioneering out cop

2001: LGBTs among victims of 9/11

The LGBT community mourned with the rest of the nation as nearly 3,000 lives were lost on Sept. 11. Perhaps the most wellknown LGBT victim of the terrorist attacks was San Francisco public-relations guru Mark Bingham, credited as one of the passengers who fought the attackers and brought down United Flight 93 in a Pennsylvania field. Others killed included attorney Don Brandhorst and his partner, retail manager Ron Gamboa, as well as their 3-year-old son; the family was aboard United Flight 175 that slammed into World Trade Center 2. Also on that flight was openly gay software engineer Graham Berkeley, a British transplant who lived in Boston. David Charlebois was the copilot of American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon, a flight that carried openly gay passenger Joe Ferguson, director of the National Geographic Society’s education programs.

The Rev. Mychal Judge was a gay Franciscan friar and chaplain of the New York City Fire Department, who was killed while tending to victims.

began a quest for records relating to the case; in the spring, homicide detectives allowed the paper to listen to audio recordings of radio-room transmissions relating to the case and in June released a police-incident report that officials earlier said didn’t exist. Morris’ mother filed a federal lawsuit in September, blaming police, paramedics and others for her daughter’s death, which was later settled. The case remains unsolved.

2004: N.J. Guv.: ‘I am a gay American’

New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey shocked the nation when he called a press conference Aug. 12 to both come out and announce his resignation. The revelation reportedly came after pressure from a former appointee with whom he had an extramarital affair. Since McGreevey’s resignation would not take effect for three months, he became the nation’s first sitting out governor.

2005: Philly gets nation’s first LGBT historical marker

2002: Pennsylvania passes LGBT hate-crimes law

The city’s first out police recruit killed himself after resigning from the force. Thomas Gilbert Kalt, Jr., 26, shot himself in the head Jan. 6 at Franklin Court in Old City. The Tacony native was considered the department’s first openly gay recruit, after he applied through a form at Giovanni’s Room. PGN followed his final days at the Police Academy and his Dec. 15, 1998, graduation. He filed paperwork Jan. 4 to resign, for unspecified reasons. Police officials quickly denied homophobia within the force played a role in Kalt’s suicide, a claim that prompted Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights executive director Andrew Park to call for an investigation into the climate of the department. A few weeks later, Inspector James Tiano was named the department’s first LGBT liaison, a discussion that had been in the works prior to Kalt’s suicide.

2000: Ruling bans second-parent adoption

A Nov. 8 ruling from the Pennsylvania Superior Court banned second-parent adoption by same-sex partners in Pennsylvania. The ruling followed a suit by a lesbian couple from Lancaster and a gay couple from Erie, who were seeking court precedence establishing the right for one same-sex partner to adopt the biological child of the other; the practice had been allowed piecemeal by certain judges. In its ruling, the court interpreted the state’s adoption law as applying only to legal spouses of a parent, effectively barring same-sex partners. The ruling did not invalidate the second-parent adoptions that had already been performed in 14 of the state’s 67 counties.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned that ruling Aug. 20, 2002, paving the way for second-parent adoptions.

After stalling for a yearand-a-half, the state legislature in November approved the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity into Pennsylvania’s hate-crimes law. Gov. Mark Schwieker signed the measure — Pennsylvania’s first statewide LGBT-inclusive law — Dec. 3. However, five years later, the Commonwealth Court overturned the law, saying its addition as an amendment to an unrelated agricultural bill was unconstitutional. That ruling was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2008. A bill to add LGBT protections to the state’s hate-crimes law remains stalled in the legislature.

2003: Investigation begins into Nizah Morris homicide

The LGBT community began mobilizing in January after the December 2002 death of local trans woman Nizah Morris. Morris was found dead in Center City shortly after a courtesy ride from police; the case was initially thought to be an accident but was later ruled a homicide.

PGN published its first story on the case Jan. 3 and followed up nearly weekly. On April 2, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office opened its investigation, which it acknowledged hit an impasse by the end of the year. PGN quickly

Nearly 40 years to the date of the first Reminder Day march, crowds gathered outside Independence Hall for the dedication of a historical marker honoring the event’s role in LGBT history. The Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission approved the marker in March, and the blue and yellow sign was unveiled July 1; it was the first LGBTspecific state historical marker in the country. A ceremony at National Constitution Center preceded the dedication, with remarks by Mayor John Street and Gov. Ed Rendell via phone. Marchers Frank Kameny, Bill Kelley, Randy Wicker, Ada Bello, Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen were on hand for the event.

2006: PA lawmakers defeat marriage ban

Pennsylvania narrowly missed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. On June 6, the state House approved legislation to add “one man-one woman” language to the state constitution’s definition of marriage; the Senate fol-

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

lowed suit June 21, though its version included language banning civil unions and domestic partnerships for both same- and opposite-sex couples. Because of the differences, the legislation was sent to a conference committee, where lawmakers could not iron out a compromise before the legislature’s summer recess. Supporters of the initiative contended the constitutional ban would strengthen the state’s existing statute banning same-sex marriage; similar legislation would go on to fail in the next two sessions.

2007: City moves to evict Boy Scouts

After several years of back and forth about the Boy Scouts’ policy of banning gay members, Philadelphia City Council voted May 31 for a resolution that gave the local Cradle of Liberty Council chapter an ultimatum: Move out of its city-owned property, pay fair-market rent or refuse to abide by the national organization’s antigay policy. The chapter in turn filed suit the following year alleging the resolution was a constitutional violation, which a judge partly sided with in 2010. The city and Scouts ultimately settled in 2013, with the chapter moving out of the property and the city giving them $825,000. The Scouts have since rescinded their ban on gay members and leaders.

2008: Calif. voters approve Prop. 8

By a 52-48 margin, voters in California on Nov. 4 approved a ballot measure known as Proposition 8 that overturned the state’s marriage-equality law, prompting sharp national backlash. Protests were held throughout the nation, including in Philadelphia, where a Nov. 15 demonstration drew more than 5,000 people to City Hall. The Prop. 8 effort had local support from John Templeton Jr., area businessman and philanthropist and a board member of the local Boy Scouts chapter. Templeton donated $900,000 to backers of the ballot initiative, tying with a California man for the single-largest donation. Outrage over the Prop. 8 success is thought to have galvanized the effort in ensuing years to advance marriage equality nationwide.

2009: Pennsylvania sees first marriage bill

State Sen. Daylin Leach introduced Pennsylvania’s first piece of legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. Leach submitted the measure in July with cosponsor Sen. Larry

Farnese; Sen. Jim Ferlo later signed on. The effort, which ultimately died in committee, was considered to be a long shot, but backers said the legislation fueled conversation about marriage equality and heightened awareness of LGBT issues among lawmakers.

2010: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is repealed

The military’s 1993 ban on openly gay servicemembers finally met its demise.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to repeal the law in May but it remained stalled in the Senate until a long-awaited report from the Pentagon that predicted a low risk of damage to the military from lifting the measure. Congressman Patrick Murphy, of Pennsylvania, himself a veteran, resubmitted the repeal bill in the fall and the House approved it in a 250-175 vote Dec. 15, with the Senate following in a 65-31 vote Dec. 18. President Obama signed the measure Dec. 22.

2011: Sex-abuse scandal rocks Archdiocese

A grand jury on Feb. 10 indicted three priests and a lay teacher for sexually abusing male students in the 1990s. In a national first, the jury also indicted a high-ranking Archdiocesan official, Msgr. William Lynn, for reckless endangerment for covering up the abuse. Lynn was tried, convicted and sentenced to prison. His conviction was later overturned and then reinstated; he remains in prison. The lay teacher and one priest were tried, convicted and sentenced to prison, another priest pleaded guilty and the other priest’s trial ended in a hung jury. The indictment also indicated that 40 priests who previously faced allegations of sexual abuse remained in service, a finding that led to the suspension of about two-dozen priests.

2012: PA gets two out lawmakers

Former Equality Pennsylvania president Brian Sims campaigned against longtime state Rep. Babette Josephs for the 182nd House seat, winning by about 200 votes in the April primary. Sims became the first out LGBT candidate elected to state office in Pennsylvania. Sitting state Rep. Mike Fleck, a Republican, became the first out Republican state lawmaker in the state and nation when he came out Dec. 2.

2013: Philadelphia adopts groundbreaking LGBT-reform law

Councilman Jim Kenney submitted a sweeping LGBTreform measure that sailed through City Council. The legislation would provide tax credits for companies that offered transgender-inclusive health care and domes-

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tic-partner benefits, both first-in-the-nation initiatives. The measure also mandated all new city construction be equipped with gender-neutral restrooms and revamped city forms and signage to make them more LGBT-inclusive, among other provisions. Council approved the bill in a 14-3 vote April 25 and Mayor Michael Nutter signed it into law May 9.

2014: Marriage equality arrives in the Keystone State

Pennsylvania became the 19th state to sanction same-sex marriage May 19. The historic change came after a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones 3d in a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and firm Hangley Aronchick on behalf of a group of same-sex couples. Jones found that Pennsylvania’s 1996 law banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, a ruling that came less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a similar finding about the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Hundreds gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall for an impromptu celebration, and the city Register of Wills kept its office open late to accept marriage-license applications. Republican Gov. Tom Corbett announced the next day he would not appeal the ruling. Marriages began May 23, the first taking place shortly after midnight on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

2015: SCOTUS makes marriage history

In a landmark 5-4 decision issued June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for nationwide marriage equality. The ruling, which found same-sex couples had a fundamental right to marry, came in Obergefell v. Hodges, which consolidated six lower-court cases, led by plaintiff Jim Obergefell, a widow from Ohio. SCOTUS held oral arguments April 28, with many predicting the June 26 decision date, which was also when SCOTUS overturned a key portion of the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013 and struck down sodomy laws in 2002. Local LGBT advocates gathered at Independence Mall that afternoon to celebrate. n

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Mentionable Milestone Moments -Philadelphia’s first gay business group, Community Alliance of Philadelphia, forms in August 1977.

-The U.S. Supreme Court issues a 5-4 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick June 30, 1986, upholding sodomy laws.

-In 1978, openly gay Dennis J. Beck runs, unsuccessfully, against Sam Rappaport for the 182nd state House seat.

-Officer Sara O’Brien is named Philadelphia’s first police liaison to the LGBT community in October 1986.

-On Nov. 7, 1978, California voters, by a margin of 59-41, defeat a virulently antigay state ballot known as the Briggs Initiative that would have banned gays and lesbians, and anyone who supports them, from teaching in public schools.

-Pioneering openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk is assassinated Nov. 27, 1978.

-U.S. Rep. Barney Frank acknowledges he’s gay in June 1987, marking the first time a Congressman willingly comes out.

-Civil-rights pioneer Bayard Rustin dies Aug. 24, 1987, of cardiac arrest.

-Denmark becomes the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in the world on May 26, 1989.

-Philadelphia holds its first Pride march since the 1970s on June 18, 1989, drawing 1,000 to JFK Plaza.

-University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s largest private employer, adopts a nondiscrimination policy Jan. 17, 1979, inclusive of sexual or affectional preference.

-A “Stonewall to San Francisco” rally to mark the 10th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots draws 500 people to Philadelphia’s JFK Plaza June 16, 1979.

-The first-ever Congressional hearing on a gay civil-rights bill is held Oct. 10, 1980, in San Francisco.

-In February 1982, Delaware County resident John DeSantos files suit against former partner Bill Barnsley for property and alimony in the area’s first gay “divorce” case.

-The largest conference for Dignity USA, an organization for LGBT Catholics, is held Sept. 4-7, 1981, at Philadelphia’s Franklin Plaza Hotel.

-Philadelphia’s Gay Community Center shuts down its physical operations in December 1983.

-Philadelphia City Council votes down a Gay Pride proclamation in a 9-7 vote May 24, 1984.

-On Jan. 13, 1992, the New Jersey legislature approves a measure to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in the state.

-Director Jonathan Demme, Mayor Ed Rendell and other officials gather for a press conference Oct. 22, 1992, to announce a film called “Philadelphia,” about HIV/AIDS discrimination, would be filmed here.

-University of Pennsylvania adopts domestic-partner benefits for employees, effective May 1994.

-The newly formed Police Advisory Commission, tasked with investigating complaints against police, fields its first gay-related complaint July 26, 1994.

-The board of trustees of District Council 47, representing 3,500 city workers, adopts domestic-partner benefits for members on April 6, 1995.

-Mayor Rendell signs an executive order June 7, 1996, granting domestic-partner benefits to same-sex partners of 500 non-unionized city workPAGE 26 ers.

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-On Dec. 17, 1997, the state of New Jersey settles a class-action lawsuit that allows same-sex couples to jointly adopt, a first-in-the-nation decision.

-The first Philadelphia Dyke March is held June 13, 1998.

-On Oct. 12, 1998, gay college student Matthew Shepard succumbs to his injuries after being beaten and tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyo. -Philadelphia writer Robert Drake is attacked in a gay-bashing Jan. 31, 1999, in Sligo, Ireland.

-On April 26, 2000, Vt. Gov. Howard Dean signs the nation’s first civil-union law.

-Philadelphia LGBT and HIV/ AIDS activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya dies May 10, 2000.

-In a 15-2 vote, Philadelphia City Council adds gender identity to the city’s antibias law May 16, 2002.

-On June 26, 2002, seven same-sex couples file suit in New Jersey calling for marriage equality.

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

30-second gay-tourism ad under a new campaign, “Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay,” June 2, 2004.

-The marriage-equality movement sees a sweeping loss Nov. 2, 2004, as voters in 11 states approve bans on samesex marriage.

-Eleven protesters from local antigay group Repent America are arrested Oct. 11, 2004, at LGBT festival Outfest, though charges are later dropped.

-Ann Butchart is elected to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Nov. 8, 2005, the city’s first out elected official and the state’s first out judge.

-Gay-porn producer Bryan Kocis is found murdered in his Northeast Pennsylvania home Jan. 24, 2007.

-New Jersey begins granting civil unions for same-sex couples Feb. 19, 2007.

-Three-dozen rainbow street signs are installed throughout the Gayborhood April 18, 2007.

-The U.S. House approves a version of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act lacking protections based on gender identity Nov. 7, 2007.

-After a years-long effort, William Way opens its elevator June 6, 2009.

-Same-sex marriages begin in New Jersey on Oct. 21, 2013.

-The Philadelphia Police Department issues Policy 102 in January 2014, setting down guidelines for police interaction with trans individuals.

-The rainbow Pride flag flies for the first time outside Philadelphia City Hall in October 2010.

-Attorney General Eric Holder announces Feb. 3, 2011, that the Department of Justice will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act. -Mayor Michael Nutter and 100 others form the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry in February 2012.

-Philadelphia is the only city to receive a perfect baseline score in Human Rights Campaign’s first Municipal Equality Index, released in November 2012.

-A gay couple is beaten in Center City Sept. 11, 2014, and police later arrest Kevin Harrigan, Philip Williams and Kathryn Knott.

-Pennsylvania state Sen. Jim Ferlo comes out during an October 2014 rally for hate-crimes legislation, becoming the first out state senator.

-Philadelphia Director of LGBT Affairs Gloria Casarez dies Oct. 19, 2014. She was the first person to hold that title.

-The John C. Anderson Apartments — affordable LGBT-friendly housing for seniors — celebrates its opening Feb. 24, 2014.

-In a television interview May 9, 2012, President Obama announces he has “evolved” and supports marriage equality.

-Three states legalize samesex marriage through ballot initiatives Nov. 6, 2012, the first time marriage equality is achieved through popular vote.

-Gov. Rendell issues an executive order July 28, 2003, that prohibits gender-identity discrimination against state employees.

-The U.S. Supreme Court overturns a key portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act June 26, 2013.

-The Philadelphia Phillies host their first Gay Community Day Aug. 12, 2003.

-The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation launches a

-Transit agency SEPTA lifts its gender markers July 1, 2013.

-Local businessman Mel Heifetz gives $274,000 to pay off the mortgage of William Way LGBT Community Center June 3, 2005.

-In its June 26, 2003, ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down sodomy laws.

-Following a state Supreme Court ruling, Massachusetts becomes the first American state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples May 17, 2004.

in Pennsylvania to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

-The first lawsuit to challenge Pennsylvania’s ban on marriage equality is filed July 9, 2013, by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and firm Hangley Aronchick on behalf of several samesex couples.

-Gay Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi commits suicide after cyberbullying Sept. 22, 2010.

-Ed Hermance announces in September 2013 that he is retiring and will sell LGBT bookstore Giovanni’s Room, which, after a short closure, was taken over

by Philadelphia AIDS Thrift.

-On July 24, 2013, Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes becomes the first person

-A record 19 states adopt same-sex marriage in 2014.

-The transgender Pride flag flies for the first time outside Philadelphia City Hall in June 2015.

-Philadelphia voters approve the permanent incorporation of the Office of LGBT Affairs into the city charter Nov. 3, 2015. n

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Make an additional donation of $25 or more on April 14 and you will receive a 20% Off Tuesdays card which entitles you to 20% off of your table’s food bill on Tuesday evenings throughout the year at participating restaurants marked with a “.” Excluding holidays.

Not to be combined with other offers.

These restaurants are donating 33% of all food and beverage sales on April 14.

DineOut4LifePHL

@DineOut4LifePHL

#DineOutPhilly

RESTAURANT DETAILS AT

DiningOutForLife.com/Philadelphia

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Amis Barbuzzo Barra Rossa Boxers PHL Bud & Marilyn’s Caribou Cafe  Cheu Noodle Bar Double Knot El Vez  Franky Bradley’s  Garces Trading Company Giorgio On Pine IndeBlue Jamonera Jones  Knock  Little Nonna’s Lolita Mercato More Than Just Ice Cream Morimoto  Nomad Roman Opa Pennsylvania 6 Sampan Tabu Talula’s Daily  Talula’s Garden  The Tavern Time Tria Cafe Wash West Valanni Varga Bar Vedge Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro ZINC 

CENTER CITY WEST Alma de Cuba  Audrey Claire Barclay Prime  Bellini Grill  Butcher and Singer  Continental Midtown  COOK  The Dandelion  Day by Day El Rey  Good Dog Bar Metropolitan Cafe My Thai  Nineteen Oyster House  Parc  The Prime Rib Seafood Unlimited Square 1682 Tinto Tria Cafe Rittenhouse Tria Fitler Square Tria Taproom Twenty Manning Village Whiskey Waffles & Wedges

CHESTNUT HILL/ MOUNT AIRY Bacio 

MANAYUNK Adobe Cafe Kildare’s Irish Pub

NORTHERN LIBERTIES/ FISHTOWN/KENSINGTON Cedar Point Bar and Kitchen Fette Sau  Frankford Hall  Johnny Brenda’s Loco Pez  Martha North 3rd Restaurant  Silk City Diner  Yards Brewing Company

OLD CITY Amada  Buddakan  Common Wealth  Continental Restaurant  DiNardo’s Famous Seafood Fork  Han Dynasty  Lucha Cartel National Mechanics The Olde Bar Panorama Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti Race Street Cafe Red Owl Tavern Spasso Italian Grill Zahav

Lotus Farm to Table Nais Cuisine The Original Clam Tavern Picasso Restaurant and Bar Pinocchio’s Restaurant Riddle Ale House Spasso Italian Grill Sterling Pig Brewery

MONTGOMERY COUNTY Al Dar Bistro Barbacoa of Ardmore Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe  Spring Mill Cafe Trax Restaurant and Cafe Viggiano’s BYOB White Elephant Restaurant 

DELAWARE BBC Tavern and Grill  Cromwell’s American Tavern & Taqueria Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House Pizza by Elizabeth’s Timothy’s of Newark Tutto Fresco Ulysses American Gastropub

SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY

Distrito Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar Pod  The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College

Barnsboro Inn Bistro di Marino The Candy Jar Casa Bella Trattoria CousCous Moroccan Cuisine  El Sitio Grill & Café Filomena Cucina Italiana Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar Heart Beet Restaurant Indeblue Indian Cuisine  Keg & Kitchen Kitchen 519  L’Oceano Ristorante Los Amigos - Atlantic City Los Amigos - West Berlin Marino’s Bistro to Go Ms. Nancy’s Place Soulfood Restaurant Newtown Kitchen and Lounge  Norma’s Restaurant  Nunzio Ristorante Rustico Oasis Mexican Grill Pop Shop Collingswood Pop Shop Medford Sabrina’s Café Collingswood Sapori Trattoria Short Hills Restaurant & Deli Steak 38 Café Tejas Grill Lindenwold Tortilla Press Tortilla Press Cantina Tre Famiglia Ristorante  Villa Barone Villari’s Lakeside Restaurant Westmont Bagel Westmont Diner 

BUCKS COUNTY

FOOD TRUCK POP UP

SOCIETY HILL/SOUTH ST. Beau Monde Bistro Romano  Bistrot La Minette Copabanana Hurricane Alley Pizzeria Stella  Serpico 

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA/ EAST PASSYUNK AVE. Adobe Cafe August Bing Bing Dim Sum Brigantessa Fond The Industry Bar  Le Virtu Noord Palladino’s Restaurant Neuf Stargazy Taproom on 19th  Villa Di Roma

UNIVERSITY CITY

Poco’s The Raven Square One Pub

CHESTER COUNTY Cedar Hollow Inn Restaurant and Bar Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House Eclat Chocolate Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar Olive Branch Tapas Restaurant Red Star Craft House Side Bar & Restaurant

DELAWARE COUNTY Broadway Bar & Grille Diego’s Cantina and Tequila Bar La Belle Epoque Wine Bistro

11am - 2pm 1300 Block of Locust St. Chef Johnny Bravo’s Surf n Turf Chewy’s The Cow and The Curd Cupcake Carnivale Farm Truck Philly Foolish Waffles Gigi’s & Big R Mac Mart Mama’s Meatballs Mom-Mom’s Polish Food Cart Nomad Pizza Truck Oink and Moo BBQ Phoebes BBQ Surf and Turf Truck The Tot Cart

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Day in the Life of ...

By Jeremy Rodriguez PGN Contributor Armed with nothing but her notebook, pen and minimal background information, PGN staff writer Paige Cooperstein got to work last month to get the full story on the fatal stabbing of Maya Young, a local transgender woman of color.

She called two directors of two different LGBT organizations with no immediate answers from either. For her third phone call, she contacted the police but they said they were gathering more information and would email at a later time. Finally, the fourth phone call ended up being the charm.

Cooperstein spoke with Naiymah Sanchez, coordinator of the Trans-Health Information Project at GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization. Cooperstein listened to Sanchez and wrote notes, occasionally pausing to ask a question or to circle sections of what she wrote. She ended up writing 14 pages of notes from the conversation.

“It’s really just half-words,” Cooperstein said with a chuckle about her shorthand process. “I’ll know what most of these [notes] mean and if I really want to use it, then I’ll circle it. If I do that, then I’ve been particularly accurate on [my note-taking] because I know I wanted to use it as a quote.”

When the phone call ended, Cooperstein began working on her short story to put on PGN’s website. Throughout the rest of the week, she updated the story for the publication’s print edition with information from the sources who got back to her, as well as incorporated personal stories from Young’s friends.

Telling stories like this — as well as more positive pieces — which present interest to an LGBT audience is what PGN has been doing for 40 years.

Cooperstein has been working with the publication since August and her desk has more than a dozen notebooks filled with notes from past stories to prove it. During her short time on staff, Cooperstein came to recognize how PGN is different from other LGBT publications. She noted how she sometimes has to explain PGN’s mission to interview sources with opposing views on LGBT issues. For example, the Mummers Parade on New Year’s

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News

Day featured a skit about Caitlyn Jenner that many viewers thought was transphobic. Rather than writing a story condemning those who organized the skit, Cooperstein contacted them directly.

served as a platform for the LGBT community and its allies to communicate with each other on various issues. The publication has a record of being a pioneer.

Segal recalled PGN being the

views.

“We love printing letters to the editor and op-ed pieces that disagree with our editorial position because that helps create respectful dialogue in our community,” Segal said. “As long as you’re not bashing somebody, we’ll publish it.”

While the work week for PGN may be filled with writing, editing, tracking breaking news, publishing stories on the website and updating social-media pages, the job is much more than “work” for

PGN STAFFERS LARRY NICHOLS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT), JEN COLLETTA, PAIGE COOPERSTEIN, SEAN DORN, SCOTT DRAKE, CAROL GIUNTA, JALEESA HINES, GREG DENNIS AND PRAB SANDHU

“People seem to be very receptive if you let them know you’re writing this as a journalist and you need to have space for both [sides],” Cooperstein said.

PGN editor Jen Colletta echoed Cooperstein, referencing PGN’s tagline: “honesty, integrity, professionalism.” She said the team holds itself to this mission with the quality of the work they put out.

“We’re a newspaper first before we’re a community newspaper,” Colletta said. “We’ve had to report on people in the LGBT community who’ve done ‘wrong things’ and that has angered some people but we’re a newspaper before anything else.”

As the brainchild of publisher Mark Segal in 1976, PGN has

first LGBT publication to interview presidential candidates — in this case, it was Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter — as well as being the first newspaper to run stories about lesbian nuns and the possibility of Abraham Lincoln being gay.

Since the paper’s inception, it expanded to online and social media outlets to reach a broader audience. PGN also went on to publish special editions throughout the years with themes relating to youth, weddings, pets and senior citizens.

Additionally, PGN publishes editorials, columns and letters to the editor. While these particular pieces might have pro-LGBT stances, Segal still encourages others to “take issue with” PGN’s

many of the employees.

Colletta said that, while she identifies as a member of the LGBT community, she felt “cut off” from the community as a resident of Northeast Philadelphia.

That changed when she began working as a staff writer in 2007 and later became editor in 2012.

“I got to quickly immerse myself in the community and meet so many people. I think that’s been the neatest thing for me — getting to see how diverse the community is and the inner workings of the community organizations,” Colletta said.

Other staff members had the chance to experience historic moments while working for PGN. Throughout the publication’s 40 years, Don Pignolet has worked

as its office manager. One of his many duties includes the circulation of the papers through the news boxes on city streets.

Pignolet recalls these boxes being vandalized with slogans such as “GAY=Got AIDS Yet” and other homophobic slurs. He even found homemade bombs in a few of them.

Nowadays, Pignolet continues to find the occasional graffiti but noted the growing acceptance of the LGBT community as the biggest change during his 40 years on staff.

“I never thought I would see gay marriage,” Pignolet said. “I thought there was a better chance of me walking on Mars.”

Pignolet is now married to his husband, whom he met three months before he started working for PGN 40 years ago. They married on Christmas Day 2013.

Scott Drake, the art director and photographer for PGN, also had the opportunity to experience marriage equality in a slightly different way. He planned a trip to Washington, D.C., to accept a Society of Professional Journalists award for one of his photos on June 26, 2015 — the same day the U.S. Supreme Court granted marriage equality to the remaining states that had yet to sanction it. This coincidence gave Drake not only the chance to document the day but also the opportunity to experience this moment in history firsthand.

“To be right there when it happened is a moment that I’ll never forget,” Drake recalled with a smile. “There are certain things that you remember in your life, like where you were when The Challenger exploded. But this is probably the one positive event I can think of. When this decision came down, I know exactly where I was: I was there.”

However, while many changes have occurred throughout its 40-year history, Segal said PGN is still the same publication he started 40 years ago.

“I don’t think it has [changed],” Segal said. “We started with a mission to become a news publication, and local news was our trademark from day one. We also decided we were going to do hard-news stories that nobody else did. And that’s the secret of our success.” n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Scott A. Drake Photography 267-736-6743

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Evolution of the Gayborhood

By Bob Skiba PGN Contributor In the second half of the 20th century, the Center City neighborhood that became known as the Gayborhood formed in the vicinity of 13th and Locust streets. The community and the geographical spaces it occupied played a vital role in the social and political struggles of LGBT people locally and in the nation.

After World War II, Philadelphia’s gay geography, like that in many American cities, expanded greatly. The war had uprooted millions of men and women across the country and exposed them to urban life here and abroad they had never seen before. Postwar downtown Philadelphia, or “Center City,” as it was beginning to be called, had the largest concentration of apartments and rental rooms in the “City of Homes,” providing gay men, lesbians and transgender people with the privacy and urban anonymity they sought.

By the 1950s, Rittenhouse Square and the beatnik coffeehouses nearby on Sansom Street had become part of the public gay geography of the city. So many gay men moved into apartments south of the square that even straight people commonly referred to gay men who lived in Center City by the coded term “Spruce Street boys.” Gays, of course, lived all throughout the city, with a significant lesbian presence in the Germantown/ Chestnut Hill area. In an era when rac-

ism extended even into the LGBT community, many African-American gay men and lesbians socialized in bars or through private parties north of Market Street, in North Philadelphia or across the Schuylkill in West Philadelphia.

The LGBT presence in Philadelphia became increasingly visible. In December 1962, Greater Philadelphia Magazine published an essay by Gaeton Fonzi about the city’s gay community. Titled “The Furtive Fraternity,” it was the first article in the country about a city’s LGBT population to appear in a mainstream publication. The article mentioned a dozen or so gay bars and coffeehouses scattered along Spruce Street west of Broad and along the Locust Street area east of Broad. Fonzi also interviewed a handful of gay people, many of whom remained anonymous. Despite its semi-sensationalist subtitle — “Philadelphia’s homosexuals lead a strange twilight life outside the law and outside of society” — the story steered away from the lurid and focused instead on the problems of gay people in Philadelphia and the burgeoning gay political scene. Only a few years later, from 1965-69, Philadelphia activists collaborated with groups in Washington, D.C., and New York to stage annual demonstrations for gay rights in front of Independence Hall.

The “Twilight Life” The clichéd “twilight life” described

by early newspaper and magazine articles did have some basis in fact. Many gay men, lesbians and gender-variant people who lived through the 1950s-’60s experienced compartmentalized lives.

They described themselves as being “straight during the 9-5 work week, but damned gay on weekends.” The parks, bars and restaurants that crowded Center City streets provided semipublic spaces where LGBT people could socialize and be themselves.

A number of factors worked together to turn the few blocks that radiated from 13th and Locust streets into the neighborhood that became known as the Gayborhood. Close to the hotels and theaters on Broad Street, by the 1940s the Locust strip became a major center of Philadelphia nightlife. The street was dotted with nightclubs, restaurants and musical bars that featured top national performers like Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald and Patti Paige. By the 1950s, however, some of the spots did away with the expensive first-rate entertainers and began featuring Las Vegas-style showgirls instead. As the character of the area changed, a few of the “musical bars” on the hidden, smaller streets like Camac and Quince began attracting a gay clientele and a few venues became predominantly gay.

In the 1960s, the area declined. City planner Edmund Bacon’s plans for Washington Square East and Washington Square West came to a halt in the late

THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF LOCUST AND CAMAC STREETS IN 1976 (TOP). THE JONATHAN LAX CENTER AND AIDS LIBRARY OCCUPY MOST OF THAT SPACE NOW. 13TH STREET (BELOW), IN 1972, LOOKING NORTH FROM LOCUST. GREEN EGGS NOW OCCUPIES PART OF THIIS BUILDING. IN THE BACKGROUND IS DEWEY’S RESTAURANT. Photos courtesy Temple Urban Archive

Business owners ponder the Gayborhood’s future

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The Gayborhood has seen many changes and evolutions over the years, which begs the questions: Where is the Gayborhood right now and where is it going in the future?

For some bar owners and operators working in the Gayborhood, the area’s future looks bright, even with the uncertainties of a frequently changing neighborhood.

“It’s gotten better,” Stephen Carlino, owner of U Bar and Tavern on Camac, said about business in the Gayborhood.

“Whether that has anything to do with any changes in the gay community, I don’t know. The neighborhood is getting better but I hear more and more people talk about moving out because it’s too expensive.”

Tabu co-owner Jeff Sotland added that, when his establishment opened, he sought advice from seasoned bar owner and Woody’s founder Bill Wood.

“When we opened, the first thing I did was sit down with Bill Wood and say,

‘What do you think? We’re obviously not competing with you. We’re looking at something totally different,’” Sotland said. “And his first thing was, ‘Don’t open a gay bar. You’re going to die. It’s going to be great on a Friday and Saturday night, but you’re going to die during the week.’

And he was 100-percent correct.”

Sotland said the clientele at gay bars has shifted in the past few decades, as have the ways LGBT people socialize, which has prompted venues to shift their focus to keep up with that change.

“We bring in probably the most diverse crowd in the neighborhood every night of the week. There’s a total change in the neighborhood from 20 years ago,” he said.

“There’s also a change in behaviors from 20 years ago. You don’t have to go to the bars to find out where your friends are.

You text, you message, you do all these crazy things. We’ve seen a large shift in trans folk who come out and engage in performance art. They’re getting involved in things that are going on. There’s not just an insular focus on the community anymore, at least in our space. We have a very diverse crowd. Any drag show we

have draws 30-50 percent allies, not just LGBT folks.”

Sotland added that these changes have even affected the Gayborhood’s tastes in adult beverages.

“When we opened, vodka and three beers ruled the day,” he said. “That’s out the window now. It’s brown liquors and the whiskeys. People aren’t drinking all these light beers. They’re drinking IPAs and stouts that you didn’t find in the neighborhood 15 years ago. It’s a struggle for the breweries and the distributors because they haven’t been able to keep up with the change.”

Some say it is entirely possible that, because of social changes and gentrification, the Gayborhood as we know it might not exist in 10 or 20 years.

“I remember reading an article many years ago about how in 10 years’ time, all the gay bars will disappear,” Carlino said. “And that was more than 10 years ago. I don’t see that happening. Certainly we have lost three gay bars in the last two years in Philadelphia: Sister’s, The Westbury and now Venture Inn, not because people weren’t going there but

the owners decided to move on or because the city or the landlord shut the building down. I think there’s always going to be a desire for the young gay community to go out and hang out with their friends, who are often going to be gay or lesbian. But more and more, straight people are coming in and being welcomed into the bars.”

“It’s never going to go away entirely but it is going to cull the herd,” Sotland said about the Gayborhood. “The low-hanging fruit is going to go away. Woody’s will always be there. Knock will always be there. I hope that Tabu will always be there. But The Westbury and Venture are not there anymore. All cities are going through this and it’s a big problem.

They’re trying to do away with dance clubs. I don’t think you’re going to see an expansion. You’re going to see more of an integration. But there’s the big question of, Do you need it anymore, because everybody is as comfortable as they can be in any of these locations that are there already? Are more house parties so the big-event nights aren’t as big as they used to be. But people are coming out more.

It’s a very diverse area.” n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

patrol the area. In 1982, the gay-rights bill that had stalled year after year through the 1970s passed in City Council with almost no opposition.

The devastation of the AIDS epidemic and horrendous loss of life in the 1980s brought the community together. When federal, state and local governments failed to respond, Philadelphia activists stepped up.

They formed groups like ActionAIDS, Unity, Manna, ACT UP and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania to promote AIDS education, to care for victims of the disease, and to fight for legislation and medical research.

The Gayborhood Gets Its Name Center City’s gay neighborhood gained its name in 1995 at Outfest, a commemoration of National Coming Out Day, when City Paper’s David Warner playfully paraphrased the Mister Rogers children’s song and declared, “It’s a beautiful day in the

The

Since 1976

PGN Guide to the Gayborhood

The Philadelphia Gayborhood is roughly centered at 12th and Camac streets. Look for the rainbow street signs at intersections and remember to be aware of your surroundings wherever you go.

Boxers

1330 Walnut St. facebook.com/ boxersphl Sports bar with multiple plasma tvs, pool table, brick oven, djs

m

<—

m

Rosewood

200 S. 12th St. 215.964.9675 tabuphilly.com Sports bar / drag shows and bar food

202 S. 13th St. 215.545.1893 woodysbar.com American-style bar food and large dance floor

m m

The Bike Stop

Four-level leather bar; basement enforces a dress code; secondfloor pool table and big-screen sports action

Walnut St. Chancellor St.

Demonstrations after Stonewall

m

m

St. James St.

m Locust St.

m

Bob Skiba is the archivist at the William Way LGBT Community Center and the president of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. In 2013, he co-authored “Lost Philadelphia” with Edward Mauger. Skiba maintains a Philadelphia Gayborhood history blog at http://thegayborhoodguru.wordpress.com/

Manning St.

m

11th St.

m

Quince St.

<—

Latimer St.

12th St.

Gayborhood!” The name stuck, and what had been a “gay ghetto” gradually became commonly known as the Gayborhood. In 2007, the city of Philadelphia installed 36 rainbow street signs in the area bounded by 11th and Broad streets and Pine and Walnut streets to honor the history and diversity of the area. In 2012, a section of Locust Street from 12th to 13th streets was dedicated as “Barbara Gittings Way,” in honor of Philadelphia’s pioneer activist.

By the 21st century, the Gayborhood was anchored by the William Way LGBT Community Center on Spruce Street and Giovanni’s Room, the country’s oldest LGBT bookstore, on Pine Street. In February 2014, the John C. Anderson Apartments, Philadelphia’s only housing for LGBT seniors, opened on 13th Street near Spruce.

Farther north on 13th, upscale sidewalk cafés have replaced the hookers and drug dealers.

The building at 13th and Locust streets that once housed the All in the Family strip club became Nest, a play space for Washington West toddlers.

A combination of political activism, business savvy and community involvement have succeeded in transforming Philadelphia’s downtown gay neighborhood. n

13th St.

Juniper St.

The strip bars and “gentlemen’s clubs” kept the area depressed through the early ’70s, but the gay community was evolving rapidly. Philadelphia was not far behind New York in responding to the revolutionary call raised by the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Within a few years, Philadelphia saw the birth of several radical, new-left organizations including the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activist Alliance and Dyketactics. In 1972, Philadelphians held their first Gay Pride demonstration, with an estimated 10,000 people marching from Rittenhouse Square to Independence Mall, signaling the end of a “furtive fraternity” and the beginning of a new, highly visible presence. The city’s LGBT community was out and proud. By 1976, gay Philadelphia had opened a gay community center on South Street, founded the Philadelphia Gay News and began pushing for a citywide gay-rights ordinance.

The new LGBT involvement in politics affected the geography of the Gayborhood.

Gay spaces proliferated, with gay bars opening both east and west of Broad Street, along South and Front streets, and in suburbs like Cherry Hill and Norristown. New AfricanAmerican bars opened along Arch and Filbert streets, just north of Market Street, and along Broad Street in North Philadelphia.

Many of the bars, restaurants and shops in the Gayborhood advertised themselves as gay-owned and operated, and the first LGBT business associations were formed. By the end of the decade, city food writers attributed Philadelphia’s restaurant renaissance to its gay entrepreneurs.

As the 1980s began, the worst parts of Locust Street had been razed and rebuilt.

When crime continued to be a problem in the area, particularly manifesting itself in violence against transgender people, the community and business associations came together to form neighborhood watches to

Tabu

Woody’s

1302 Walnut St. 215.336.1335 rosewood-bar.com Cozy, panelled bar with dj and high-end cocktails

Camac St.

1960s when federal funding dried up after his successful redevelopment of Society Hill.

The city bought and demolished many buildings in the section that encompassed the emerging Gayborhood, but lack of funds left the area pockmarked with vacant lots and no real plan for development. By the late ’60s, many of the musical bars and nightclubs had degenerated into seedy strip joints with links to organized crime. The Philadelphia Inquirer began referring to the area as “Lurid Locust Street.”

To make matters worse, the construction of the Vine Street Expressway and the destruction of what had been Philadelphia’s Tenderloin district to the north pushed prostitution, gambling and drug dealing down 13th Street as far south as Locust. Police actions on area strip clubs led by then-Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo usually included raids on gay bars, lumping prostitutes, drug dealers and homosexuals all together as “undesirables.” Even gay and lesbian private clubs, incorporated to get around the city’s ban on same-sex dancing, were not immune. Police raids on gay bars were common well into the 1980s.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

r r Spruce St.

William Way LGBT Community Center

1315 Spruce St. 215.732.2220 waygay.org

A resource for all things LGBT

Voyeur

1221 St. James St. 215.735.5772 voyeurnightclub.com After-hours private club; membership required

U Bar 1220 Locust St. 215.546.6660

Relaxing corner bar, easy-going crowd, popular for happy hour and window watching

Tavern on Camac West of Broad Street Stir Lounge

1705 Chancellor St. 215.732.2700 stirphilly.com Fun two-bar lounge, DJ in the back, regular poker games and specials

255 S. Camac St. 215.545.8731 Piano lounge with upstairs dance floor; Tavern restaurant in the basement.

Knock 225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166 knockphilly.com Fine -dining restaurant and bar with outdoor seating (weather permitting)

ICandy

254 S. 12th St. 267.324.3500 clubicandy.com Three floors with a total of six bars; dance floor, lounge and rootop deck.

The Attic Youth Center

255 S. 16th St. 215.545.4331 atticyouthcenter.org Safe space and programs for LGBTs age 16-23 weekday afternoons and evenings

Pa. bars close at 2 a.m. unless they have a private-club license. Please drink responsibly.

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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Know how it feels to know more.

At BB&T, we’ve spent more than 140 years sharing our knowledge. Offering the sound advice and personal attention to help you manage your day-to-day finances and reach your long-term financial goals. When you’re better informed, you move in a brighter financial direction. Talk to us about where your money can take you, and experience the BB&T difference today. BBT.com

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Read PGN’s food reviews every second and fourth week of the month

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

PGN Fast Facts

Reaching our readers

-First issue was published Jan. 3, 1976 -Went biweekly March 1978 -Became a weekly Nov. 26, 1982 -Installed vendor boxes in 1977 -First website launched in 1996 -Became free in 2005 On the move -First editions of PGN were put together at 2220 Spruce St., an employee’s apartment -Gay News franchise moved headquarters from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in October 1976 -PGN has had four offices: • 233 S. 13th St., a former Laundromat and later fortuneteller’s space (1976-1983) • 1108 Spruce St. (1983) • 254 S. 11th St. (1983-1995) • 505 S. Fourth St. (1995-present) By the numbers -PGN’s largest paper was Pride 2007, at 136 pages -To date, PGN has won a total of 243 awards

-To date, PGN has employed 275 people -Including this issue, PGN has published 1,876 editions -Currently, PGN has 118 honor boxes in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

-The furthest distribution point for the paper is Myrtle Beas, SC

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# P H LW I N E F E S T

Turning the pages

@ P H I L LY M A G E V E N T S

An elegant blend of worldly flavors.

-First-of-its-kind series on lesbian nuns in May 1980 -PGN expanded to 11-by-17-inch paper size in August 1981 -First mention of AIDS was in a cover story on the “gay cancer” it called AID in the July 9-22, 1982, issue -The March 18, 1983, issue was the first featuring a new text focus instead of large photos -Women’s section Lesbian Voice debuted May 17, 1984 -Updated look Nov. 1, 1991 included a section called FOCUS for features and lifestyles stories and an expanded arts and entertainment listings section -A clock tracking Mayor Rendell’s pledge to instate domestic-partner benefits ran on the PGN front page from Jan. 19, 1996 to June 7, 1996

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-Street Talk debuted Jan. 3, 1997 -PGN returned to its 11-by-12.5-inch size Dec. 17, 2004

P H I L LY M A G . C O M / W I N E A N D F O O D F E S T

-PGN’s April 4, 2008, cover, depicting a blank space where presidential hopeful Barack Obama declined an interview, makes national headlines

Philadelphia Gay News April 4 - 10, 2008

Honesty Integrity Professionalism

Vol. 32 No. 14

PGN

Clinton talks; Obama balks

INSIDE

PGN Exclusive

www.epgn.com

By Mark Segal and Sarah Blazucki

Life after “Runway” Page 26

SEN. BARACK OBAMA Photo: Patsy Lynch

The Democratic race for president has been heating up for months.

And where once eight contenders graced the national stage, only two have made it to Pennsylvania’s primary: Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In these months, an alliance of LGBT papers sought to speak with the top three contenders — Clinton, Obama and former Sen. John Edwards — to no avail. Now, with the delegate spread hovering around 150, smaller constituencies, including the LGBT community and their superdelegates, are playing a larger role.

PGN invited both Clinton and Obama, as well as presumptive Republican candidate John McCain, to speak with us. Only Clinton granted an interview.

Lesbian filmmaker’s “Lullaby”

PGN: I assume that you and President Clinton have gay friends.

Can you give me your impression of one of those couples that you socialize with, without giving any names?

Hillary Clinton: Oh my gosh.

There are so many of them. I know that Mark [Walsh, Clinton’s national director of LGBT outreach] is on the phone. Let me say this, we don’t get to socialize a lot. But when we do, it’s usually at a big event where we get to see people and spend time with them. This is something I want to do more of as soon as I nish this presidential campaign. It’s sort of hard to pick out people. We go to some events in Washington and New York.

I’ve got friends, literally, around the country that I’m close to. It’s part of my life.

Classifieds 47 Comics 37 Detour 25 Diversions 42 Editorial 11 Mark My Words 10 Meeting Place 44 Media Trail 7 News Briefing 5 Other Views 11 The Playground 61 Scene in Philly 31 Street Talk 10 Upcoming Events 22

PGN: How would you respond to those friends if they asked you why they can’t get married?

HC: What I say is that marriage is in the province of the state, which has actually turned out to be lucky for us, because we didn’t have to get beaten on the Federal Marriage Amendment because we could make, among other arguments, that it was such a stretch for the federal government and it was wrong to enshrine discrimination in the Constitution. And that states are really beginning seriously to deal with the whole range of options, including marriage, both under their

Gay comic (s)talks Hollywood Page 34

It’s been 1,522 days since Sen. Barak Obama has spoken with local gay press. See EDITORIAL, Page 11.

Page 35

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON AP Photo own state constitutions and under the legislative approach. I anticipate that there will be a very concerted amount of effort in the next couple of years that will move this important issue forward and different states will take different approaches as they did with marriage over many years and you will see an evolution over time.

PGN: What will you do to improve the immigration policy for same-sex couples?

HC: I think that that’s one of the biggest problems that we’ve got to contend with. Even states that have civil unions, domestic partnerships or even marriage laws are running into roadblocks with the federal government when it comes to federal benets and privileges. Of course, immigration is a federal responsibility and I am going to do everything I can to eliminate any disparities in any benets or rights under our law at the federal level so that all people will have available to them every right as an American citizen that they should, and that would include immigration law.

PGN: What changes would you make toward governments that execute gay people, such as Iran, Egypt and Iraq and numerous other countries in the Middle East and Africa? Will you offer political asylum?

HC: I would be very strongly outspoken about this and it would be part of American foreign policy. There are a number of gross human-rights abuses See CLINTON, Page 7

PRESENTED BY

M E D I A PA R T N E R S

C H A R I T Y PA R T N E R

O F F I C I A L A F T E R PA R T Y

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Printing, advertising evolution reflects changes in community

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Because Don Pignolet had a truck, he got drawn into Philadelphia Gay News as its second issue printed in February 1976.

Publisher Mark Segal needed someone to drive to Pittsburgh to pick up the papers. Pignolet made the five-hour trek across the Pennsylvania Turnpike once a month to bring 10,000 issues of PGN back to Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

He used to store the extras in his barn in Bucks County.

By September of that first year, the paper began printing in Philadelphia. Pignolet became a jack-of-all-trades, managing classifieds and other office needs.

Forty years later, he said he still enjoys working for PGN, maintaining the newspaper boxes and managing the distribution routes now undertaken by three drivers.

“It didn’t seem like I wanted to do anything else,” Pignolet said.

“It never seemed like work.”

Pignolet had a personal connection to the paper’s work. In 1974,

he wrote an essay in the former Philadelphia Bulletin in which he called Segal his hero “because he has the courage and vision to stand up for the rights of gay people.” Segal reached out and the two had lunch at the former Day’s Deli at 18th and Spruce streets.

They shared a long conversation that served as Pignolet’s entrée into Philadelphia’s gay scene.

As PGN got off the ground, Pignolet helped get the first 15 newspaper boxes ready.

“They were always purple,” he said. “First off, nobody else was using it. Who would paint a news box that color?”

They used auto paint to withstand the outdoor conditions.

The Main Line Times in Montgomery County was the first company to print PGN locally.

Pignolet said the September 1976 issues came back wrapped in pink paper. AFL Web Printing in Voorhees, N.J., printed the paper for most of its existence, until the company folded in late 2012.

Now the Philadelphia Inquirer prints PGN. Almost since the beginning, Pignolet handled classified sub-

missions, mostly personal ads seeking partners for hook-ups.

They cost $1.25 per line and were submitted along with a check in the mail.

“It was necessary for the paper,” Pignolet said. “It was half the income of the paper at one point.

“It went on for a long time,” he continued. “If you go back and look through those papers, every one of those ads is real. I never made an ad up. I never had to. It never ceased to amaze me what I found out there. I had one rule when I did the classified ads: I always corrected grammar and spelling and syntax. I was very good at the English language.”

By the late 1980s to early ’90s, the sexual ads started to disappear. Pignolet said it was a joint effort of the AIDS epidemic that made people more cautious and the Internet that made personal ads free on services like Craigslist.

The early 2000s was the last time Pignolet received a classified ad by mail. These days, classifieds come in electronically for real estate, help wanted, travel

and guesthouses.

Advertising revenue filled the void left by classifieds largely moving online. Adonis Cinema is PGN’s longest-running advertiser. The adult theater in Rittenhouse ran an ad in the first issue and has advertised consistently, including in this 40th-anniversary issue.

Over the years, Pignolet said he’s seen PGN blossom.

“When we started, nobody had any idea what we were doing,” he said. “It was all seat-of-the-pants learning. It got a lot more professional. The staff got more professional. The product got more professional. The whole approach got more professional.” n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Congrats to the Philly Gay News on its 40th anniversary!

ACLU of Pennsylvania

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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Issue date: June 10 Ad deadline: June 3

Reserve your space today— greg@epgn.com 215-625-8501 ext. 201

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LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976

HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM Since 1976

PGN Philadelphia Gay News

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Telling our stories through photographs From national Associated Press photos to coverage of local protests to pictures of our community and its diversity, the imagery within 40 years of PGN continues to reflect Philadelphians and our struggles, our need to be recognized, validated and, above all, celebrated.

By Scott A. Drake scott@epgn.com If ever there was a daunting task lurking along the back walls of the PGN office, this was the year it materialized. Six huge drawers containing tens of thousands of photos from across the decades reside just behind my desk. Many of the pictures saw publication and then were filed away, never to see the light of day again.

Until this year.

I cannot honestly say I looked at every single photo, but I did look at thousands more than I thought I ever would. Partly because I kept finding gems and curiosities along the way, but also there were many, many questions that came up as I went along. Questions like, Who are these people? Where was this? Whatever happened to so-and-so?

As one might predict, some of the largest photo collections are of protestors, politicians and Pride. The early years of fighting to be recognized followed by the AIDS crisis brought most of the civil disobedience in our community. Since then, we’ve added marriage equality and the push for nondiscrimination and hate-crimes laws. Those are powerful images and of course that made them attractive to shoot and publish. A lot were from the Associated Press and frequently were of protests in New York City or Washington, D.C. Until I started shooting for the paper in 2008, there were many weeks when the photographs were all by AP. Sometimes there was a lone picture of a Philadelphia councilman, bar owner, nonprofit leader or activist. Part of my photographic legacy has been to make the paper as inclusive as possible by attending an event and sharing with the entire community what’s happening.

I still, however, cannot manage to attend every gala, check presentation, panel discussion, dance, brunch, parade, walk, run, casino night, block party, softball game, march, dinner, awards presentation, board meeting, book signing, volunteer appreciation, marriage, die-in, gallery opening, Bingo game, concert, drag show, flag raising and holiday potluck. But I try pretty damned hard. And every event I attend gets at least one photo in the paper.

The Pride parade, OutFest and Pridefest America (precursor to Equality Forum) all have multiple-year folders to a point. Sadly, many of the folders have only a few photos in them, underrepresenting the celebrations — something that’s changed in the past

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

decade, I’m happy to say. There are folders in abundance covering theater, film and television, however. If there was a queer character, actor, writer, theme or suggestion of one, PGN ran a photo.

Interestingly, as I flipped through the back issues while working on the 40 Years/40 Stories piece, I found hundreds of pictures from bars, parties and bathhouses that only exist on those pages. Sometimes there would be more than a page full of shirtless mustached men, drinkers and dancers.

Think about it: At one time, it was only at gay bars that people scared for their lives and livelihoods would be seen cavorting with their own kind.

There are folders galore with a single image of a person and the only identity clue is the name on the tab. There are entertainers and bands that I’ve never heard of and can’t even Google any information on.

Sometimes I would think of a person or party or bar and find we have absolutely nothing at all on them. I did, however, find a photo from the first Dyke March.

The photos on these two pages are of a wide variety of years, places, events and people. You’ve also seen photos in some of the other stories this week. There are more in sports and in a special anniversary edition of Scene in Philly, where you can see familiar faces in their younger days — some of whom you can attach to names you know, like William Way and faces from bars of yesteryear like Gatsby’s, Key West and Raffles, to name a few. While the task has been daunting, time-consuming and painful (hunching over drawers and sitting on the floor, for two reasons), it has also been fascinating. The process for this issue is over.

But the photo journey has just begun. n

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Peer recognition over the years 1983-1988

Gay & Lesbian Press Association • Tommi Avicolli — Local News Reporting • Victoria Brownworth — Ongoing Coverage of Non-Medical Issues, Ongoing Coverage Health Coverage, National News Reporting • Joseph DeMarco — Award for Excellence in Feature Writing • Nathan Fain — Community Service Award • John Hanson — National News Reporting • Karla Jay — Award for Excellence in Interviews • Lawrence Mass, M.D. — Community Service Award • Michael Melquist — Ongoing Coverage of a Specific Non-Medical Issue • Staff — Editorial Writing and Commentary, Coverage of Lesbian Issues, National News Reporting (3), Local News Reporting (2) • Staff — The Wallace Hamilton Award for Cultural Reporting

1989-1995* 1996

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Brian Caffall — 2nd place, Column; 2nd place, Feature Beat Reporting • Victor Havens — 1st place, Page Design • Sarah Miller — 2nd place, Public Service/Investigative Reporting • Al Patrick — 1st place, Editorial

1997

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Brian Caffall — 2nd place, Column • Victor Havens — 1st place, Graphic/Photo Illustration; 2nd place, Page Design • Kevin Melrose — 1st place, Front Page Design PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 1st place, Newswriting Excellence — 2nd place, Advertising Excellence PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Single Ad, Half-Page and Over — “This is a Test” — 2nd place, Single Ad, Half-Page and Over — “Everyday” PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Classified Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Commercial/Non-Commercial Ad — “Danny’s Adam and Eve”

1998

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Single Ad, Over Half-Page — “The Raven: Cabaret” — 2nd place, Single Ad, Over Half-Page — “The Raven: 4 Knights” — 3rd place, Single Ad, Over Half-Page — “The Raven: Sunday Brunch” — 3rd place, Single Ad, Under Half-Page — “Today’s Male” — 3rd place, Use of Clip Art Service — “I Am Proud” PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Classified Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Commercial/Non-Commercial

Ad — “Tropical Paradise” — 2nd place, Classifieds/Special Section — “PGN Telepersonals” — 2nd place, Promotion of a Classified Section — “Win a Trip for Two” PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 2nd place, Editorial/Opinion Page Excellence — 2nd place, Newswriting Excellence — Honorable mention, Layout and Design PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Robert DiGiacomo — 2nd place, Feature Beat Reporting • Karen Goulart — Honorable mention, News Beat Reporting • Kevin Melrose — 2nd place, Business and Consumer Story • Harriet Schwartz —1st place, Feature Beat Reporting • Patti Tihey — 2nd place, Headline Writing

1999

SPJ: Greater Philadelphia Chapter Excellence in Journalism Awards • Bob Adams — 3rd place, Deadline or Spot News Story • Karen Goulart — 2nd place, Non-deadline Writing • Karen Goulart — 3rd place, Deadline or Spot News Story • Kevin Melrose — 3rd place, Page Design PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 2nd place, Editorial/Opinion Page Excellence PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Bob Adams — 2nd place, Feature Story • Kevin Melrose — 1st place, Front Page Design

2000

SPJ: Greater Philadelphia Chapter Excellence in Journalism Awards • Karen Goulart —2nd place, Non-deadline Writing • Patti Tihey — 3rd place, Editorial PA Newspaper Publisher’s Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Use of One or More Colors — “A Night at the Speakeasy” — 1st place, Single Ad, Quarter Page and Under — “Mark Watkins” — 1st place, Single Ad, Over a Quarter Page — “Hard Surfaces” — 2nd place, Single Ad, Over a Quarter Page — “The Raven” — 1st place, Ad Campaign or Series — “Trellis Florist” — 2nd place, Self-Promotion Advertising — “Dating Can be Confusing” — 2nd place, Use of One or More Colors — “After 20 Years” PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 2nd place, Diversity, 2nd place, Advertising Excellence PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Karen Goulart — Honorable mention, Series/Special Project • Victor Havens — 2nd place, Page Design • Kevin Melrose — 2nd place, Feature Beat Reporting • Kevin Melrose — Honorable mention, Business or Consumer Story • Eddy Palumbo — 1st place, Photo Story • Patti Tihey — 1st place, Headline Writing

2001

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Single Ad, Over a Quarter-Page — “CHR Construction” — 2nd place, Single Ad, Over a Quarter-Page — “Do Not Attempt This at Home” — 2nd place, Single Ad, Under a Quarter-Page — “London Calling” — 2nd place, Website Promotion — “Point & Click” — 3rd place, Single Ad, Over a Quarter-Page — “Travel” PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Mark Segal — 2nd place, Column • Patti Tihey — 2nd place, Page Design PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 2nd places, Layout and Design, Special Section

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

2002

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Keystone Press Awards • Karen Goulart — 1st place, Weeklies: General News • Staff —1st place, Weeklies: Special Project PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 1st place, Diversity

2003

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Newspaper of the Year Contest • Staff — 1st place, Special Section — 2nd place, Layout and Design — 2nd place, General and Departmental News Coverage — 2nd place, Editorial/Opinion Page Excellence

2004

PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 2nd place, Use of One Color — “Sun Worshippers” — 3rd place, Self-Promotion Advertising — “EPGN Web Advertising”

2005

PA Newspaper Publisher’s Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Special Section — “Home Décor” — 3rd place, Single Ad — “Cat Call” Society of Professional Journalists: Spotlight Awards • Staff — Overall Weekly

2006* 2007

Suburban Newspaper Association: Editorial Contest • Casey Bell — 1st place, Arts Writing/Feature — “Out cartoonist serves up a somber dose of ‘fun’” • Victoria Brownworth — 1st place, Investigative Reporting — “Our dirtiest secret: Domestic violence in our community” • Larry Nichols — 3rd place, Continuing Coverage — “Couples grapple with UPS over benefits” • Mark Segal — Honorable mention, Column Writing — “Mark My Words”

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

— 1st place, Classifieds Section — “It’s Time to Read the Writing on the Wall” — 1st place, Self-Promotion Ad — “Detour” — 2nd place, Classifieds Section — “We’ve Got Your Color” Suburban Newspaper Association: Editorial Contest • Scott A. Drake — 1st place, Feature Photo — “Love Park” • Scott A. Drake — 2nd place, Feature Photo — “Gone But Not Forgotten” • Larry Nichols — 3rd place, A&E Writing/ Feature — “Reality TV comic to get real live in New Hope” • Mark Segal — 1st place, Column Writing — Mark My Words

2010

Keystone Pro chapter of SPJ: Spotlight Contest • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Health and Medical Story — “Researchers: Gays excluded from clinical trials” • Jen Colletta — 3rd place, Spot News Story — “Obama Extends Benefits to LGBT Federal Employees” • Sarah Blazucki — 2nd place, Editorial • Scott A. Drake — 2nd place, News Photos — “PDA with a Purpose” • Mark Segal — 2nd place, Commentary, Non-Daily — “Mark My Words” National Newspaper Association • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Feature Story — “Kelly McGillis talks marriages, divorces and civil union” • Mark Segal — 2nd place, Serious Column — “Mosque issue is an LGBT issue”

Suburban Newspaper Association: Editorial Contest • Larry Nichols — 1st Place, A&E Writing/Feature — “Actor chronicles long walk along celebrity lane” • Larry Nichols — 2nd Place, A&E Criticism/Commentary — “They want to keep you movin’ and groovin’” • Larry Nichols — 3rd Place, A&E Writing/Feature — “Cyndi Lauper launches new album and second True Colors tour” • Staff — 2nd Place, A&E/Lifestyle Section — Detour

Suburban Newspaper Association • Scott A. Drake — Honorable mention, Photojournalism — “OutFest” • Scott A. Drake — Honorable mention, News Photo — “Historic Storm” • Gary M. Kramer — 1st place, A&E Writing — “John Waters is my role model” • Larry Nichols — 2nd place, A&E Writing — “The many faces of Meshell” • Staff — 1st place, Special Section — World AIDS Day Supplement

2009

2011

2008

Keystone Pro chapter of SPJ: Spotlight Contest • Victoria Brownworth — 1st Place, Enterprise Story — “Hiding in Plain Sight” • Scott A. Drake — Honorable mention, Feature Photo — “Gone But Not Forgotten” • Mark Segal — 2nd Place, Commentary, Non-Daily — “Mark My Words” PA Newspaper Publishers Association: Display Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Wild Card Category — “Metrodate” — 1st place, Special Section/Niche Publication — “Gayborhood” — 1st place, New Media — “It Only Feels Like an Emergency”

Local Media Association: Editorial Contest • Jen Colletta — 1st place, Continuing Coverage — Coverage of Stacey Blahnik murder • Jen Colletta — Honorable mention, In-depth Reporting — “Crystal Meth: Club, culture and the gay community” • Larry Nichols — 3rd place, A&E Criticism — “These women want to rock you with new music” • Larry Nichols — Honorable mention, A&E Writing/Feature — “Author brings her story to the stage in Philly”

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

• Aaron Stella — 1st place, Column Writing — “Millennial Poz” • Mark Segal — 3rd place, Opinion Column — “Mark My Words” • Staff — 1st place, Graphic Artwork — November election, Regional civil union/marriage laws, PGN 35th timeline — 1st place, A&E/Lifestyle Section — Arts & Culture — 1st place, Non-Page One Layout — Arts & Culture feature story covers — 3rd place, Special Section — World AIDS Day Supplement National Newspaper Association • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Feature Writing

2012

Local Media Association: Editorial Contest • Jen Colletta — 1st Place, Breaking News —“Penn to offset tax burden for gay employees” • Jen Colletta — 3rd Place, Breaking News — “PA legislature gets first-ever LGBT caucus” • Jen Colletta — 3rd Place, Feature — “‘Berlin Patient’ tells Philadelphia his story” • Jen Colletta — Honorable mention, In-depth Reporting — “Funding fallout for HIV/AIDS orgs” • Tim Cwiek — 3rd Place, Continuing Coverage — “Coverage of the Boy Scouts dispute” • Larry Nichols — 3rd Place, A&E Writing — “New documentary highlights musicians’ exploration of love and gender” • Larry Nichols — 2nd Place, A&E Criticism — “New restaurant sings for your supper” • Staff — 2nd Place, Community Service Award — “Weigh it Forward” — 2nd Place, A&E/Lifestyle Section — Arts & Culture Pennsylvania Newspaper Association: Newspaper of the Year Awards • Staff — 2nd Place, Diversity — 2nd Place, Editorial Page — Honorable Mention, Newswriting Excellence SPJ Keystone Pro Chapter: Spotlight Contest • Jen Colletta — 2nd Place, Editorial Writing • Jen Colletta — 3rd Place, Spot News — “Philly rated top in nation for LGBT equality” • Scott A. Drake — 3rd Place, Photo Story — “Philly Pride 2012” • Scott A. Drake — 3rd Place, News Photography — “Acting to End AIDS” • Scott A. Drake — 3rd Place, Sports Photography — “Taking it to the Mats” • Mark Segal — 3rd Place, Commentary — “Mark My Words”

2013

Local Media Association • Dan Calhoun — Advertising Director of the Year National Newspaper Association: Better Newspaper Contest • Scott Drake — Honorable mention, Photo Essay — “Pride 2012” • Larry Nichols — Honorable mention, Feature Story — “New documentary highlights musicians’ exploration of love and gender” National Newspaper Association: Better Newspaper Advertising Contest • Staff — 1st place, Newspaper Promotion Pennsylvania News Media Association: Keystone Press Awards • Jen Colletta — Honorable mention, General News — “Antigay incident sparks media controversy” • Jen Colletta — Honorable mention, Series — “Philly marks 30 years of gay-rights protections” • Mark Segal — Honorable mention, Column Writing — “Mark My Words” Pennsylvania Newspaper Association: Newspaper of the Year Awards • Staff — 2nd place, Editorial Page Excellence — 2nd place, Community Service — Honorable mention, Use of Photography — Honorable mention, Diversity — Honorable mention, General News

Local Media Association: Editorial Contest • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Editorial Writing • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Continuing Coverage — Coverage of Pennsylvania’s marriage-equality progress • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Breaking News: “Philly’s only lesbian bar shuts down” • Larry Nichols — 3rd place, A&E Writing: “Artist features trans portraits in exhibition” • Staff — Honorable mention, Special Section: World AIDS Day Changes today mean progress tomorrow Supplement The Philadelphia Linkage — Honorable mention, A&E Program: A success story Section: Arts & Culture DEC. 1, 2015

WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

By David Webber

2014

Among the outstanding medical-case management programs at ActionAIDS is the Prison Linkage Program. This program serves individuals living with HIV while incarcerated and through release from the Philadelphia Prison System.

The Philadelphia prison population has a disproportionately high HIV-prevalence rate.

At the same time, this population of individuals with HIV who are formerly incarcerated has significant barriers to health care, resulting from poverty and homelessness/transience, recidivism and parole/probation issues, drug use, active mental-health issues and other factors.

ActionAlDS originally initiated a prison program in 1991, but during the past three years we have implemented an innovative “Care Coach” intensive medical-case management approach, which uses an assessment tool — our “Acuity Vulnerability Screening” (AVS) — that we developed specifically for this program to identify clients most at risk for falling out of care.

Our results with this highly challenged population far exceed levels of general population health as set forth in the National HIV-Care Continuum. PLP establishes seamless systems to link people to care immediately after diagnosis, and supports retention in care to achieve viral suppression that can maximize the benefits of early treatment and reduce transmission risk.

PAGE 25

of incarceration is disproportionately high, with Philadelphia ranking fourth among the 50 jurisdictions in the United States with the largest prison populations in 2010.

The impact of HIV in our society also involves a significant racial disparity that our program addresses. Blacks/AfricanAmericans continue to experience the most severe burden of HIV compared with other races and ethnicities. Blacks represent approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population, but accounted for an estimated 44 percent of new HIV infections in 2010. They also accounted for 41 percent of people living with HIV infection in 2011.

Local Media Association: Editorial Contest • Jen Colletta, Angela Thomas, Day in the Life of: a prison case manager Scott A. Drake, Sean Dorn — 1st place, Breaking News Story — “Pennsylvania says ‘I do’” • Jen Colletta — Honorable mention, Breaking News Story — “PA treasurer enters marriage fray” • Larry Nichols — 2nd place, A&E Inside Writing/Feature — “Meshell Ndegeocello’s new album burns bright” • Larry Nichols — Honorable mention, A&E Writing/Feature — “Runaway singer to perform in Philly” • Mark Segal — 2nd place, Opinion Column — “Mark My Words” • Staff — 1st place, Coverage of Life Under 30 — LGBTQ Youth Supplement — 2nd place, Front Page — 2nd place, Special Section — World AIDS Day Supplement — 2nd place, Local Election Coverage —“Philadelphia 2014 Primary Election — 2nd place, Non-Page-One Layout — Arts & Culture Feature Story — 3rd place, Community Service The problem

As an urban area with a significant high-poverty population, Philadelphia has a high HIV-prevalence rate. In a recent study that correlated socio-economic factors and HIV prevalence in Philadelphia, the Public Health Management Corporation concluded that prevalence of HIV is likely to be highest in specific census tracts where Philadelphia residents experience low socio-economic status; high concentrations of African-American residents; high death rates from homicide, AIDS, septicemia or other illnesses; high birth risk; high neighborhood instability; and high crime rates, especially crimes related to drugs and/or sex.

The residents of these high-crime neighborhoods have a high rate of incarceration. Thus, by focusing PLP on clients who are incarcerated and preparing for release, we address the HIV epidemic with the highest-risk clients in jail and, when released, who are from the areas of the city most affected by it. The Philadelphia Prison System currently houses approximately 8,000 inmates on any given day. On a per-capita basis, Philadelphia’s rate

Who are our PLP clients?

• African-Americans, 61 percent • White (including Hispanic), 33 percent • More than one race, 4 percent • Asian, 1 percent • No race specified, 1 percent • Males, 64 percent • Females, 30 percent • Transgender females, 6 percent • Ages 30-49, 69 percent • Heterosexual, 80 percent • Bisexual, 10 percent • Gay/lesbian, 2 percent • No sexual orientation reported, 7 percent • Clients are universally low-income.

• About 1 percent has stable/permanent housing.

• Forty-five percent are co-infected with Hepatitis C. • A majority needs behavioral-health services.

Viewing our client statistics, we see that this remarkable program is reaching a population of mostly African-American males, aged 30-49, who identify as heterosexual, with injection-drug use as the primary HIV risk factor (48 percent) and heterosexual contact as a secondary factor (34 percent). To our knowledge, our program is unique in having this population focus.

PLP is also highly successful — with a rate of 85 percent — in linking clients to health care upon the most challenging transition: from the jail to the community. By ensuring this continuity of medical care, we also reduce the development of drug-resistant HIV, decrease sexual-risk behaviors and, as our clients in treatment maintain low or non-detectible viral loads, we reduce or eliminate the risk of HIV transmission to others. Indeed, this is demonstrated by the 85 percent of our Care Coach clients who have been in the PLP program for two years and who have achieved viral-load suppression.

Through this program, and many others at ActionAIDS, we are creating the first AIDSfree generation. n

ON THEIR MARK: More than 180 supporters of ActionAIDS formed the organization’s team at this year’s AIDS Walk. The group raised more than $20,000 for event organizer AIDS Fund, which supports HIV/AIDS causes throughout the region.

By Marilyn Pultro PLP Case Manager, ActionAIDS

The variety of challenges and responsibilities of being a jail case manager with the Philadelphia Linkage Program make it difficult to describe a “typical day.”

Our days change with the needs of our assigned clients, their level of engagement in care services, release dates from jail and all other current circumstances of their daily lives.

8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The day begins with checking voicemail and email. Calls and emails may have come in from clients who were released from jail overnight or within the past few days, seeking appointments and access to resources within the community, such as shelters, food resources, Social Security and trans-

portation assistance. The case manager may also receive returned calls from various organizations such as infectious-disease doctors in the community confirming client medical appointments, drug and alcohol programs, probation officers, pharmacies to confirm prescriptions or mental-health providers to schedule clients’ new intake for services.

As much as we try to schedule our client meetings, jail can be a revolving door for many, so we never truly know when someone may be released. Frequently, we will receive a call from the front desk that a new client has arrived, and has come to the office unannounced, as they were newly released from jail. All PLP case managers welcome walk-ins, since most PLP clients have no access to phones and they arrive to our office after reporting to their probation officer a few blocks away.

The case manager will meet PAGE 2

• Housing barriers after incarceration: page 2

• Post-incarceration case management, Glass half-full: page 3 • World AIDS Day events: page 4 • Dining Out For Life: page 5

• HIV is not a crime, Client spotlights: page 6 • Resources, testing sites and puzzle: page 8

Pennsylvania News Media Association: Keystone Press Awards • Victoria Brownworth — 2nd place, Series — “Trans sex workers” • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Editorial • Scott Drake — 2nd place, News Photo — “Exposed to the Elements” • Scott Drake — Honorable mention, Sports Photo — “Spartans Tournament” • Angela Thomas — Honorable mention, General News — LGBT equality bill • Angela Thomas — 2nd place, Ongoing News Coverage — Russian sister city Pennsylvania News Media Association: Newspaper of the Year Awards • Staff — 1st place, Community Service — World AIDS Day and LGBTQ Youth SPJ Keystone Pro Chapter: Spotlight Contest • Victoria Brownworth — 1st place, Enterprise Reporting — “Trans sex workers” • Jen Colletta — 1st place, Spot News — “PA couples sue for marriage equality” • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Editorial • Scott Drake — 1st place, News Photography — “Exposure for Closure” • Mark Segal —

PGN LGBTQ Youth Supplement by our youth, for our youth, for our future

New Temple class explores LGBTs in media

By James Lamar Stankunas, 21 Temple University is known for its diverse population of students.

This spring, the Media Studies and Production Department introduced a new course, “LGBT Representation in Media.”

This course is taught by Dr. Adrienne Shaw, an assistant professor at Temple and the co-chair of the International Communication Association’s GLBT Studies Special Interest Group.

Throughout the course, students learned the history of LGBT representation in different forms of media. Each week, Shaw designated a form of media to discuss.

Eric Brizuela, one of the students enrolled in the course, said, “I learned about a lot of different media representations regarding LGBT, many of which I had never even considered, like comics and video games.”

The students were assigned readings each class to go along with the class discussions and were assigned various films to watch each week.

Shaw incorporated social media with her teaching by using Twitter and the hashtag #MSP4425.

Students were required to submit discussion questions based on the readings by posting them to

Pride to honor youth leaders from The Attic

By Sean Morris, 16

DR. ADRIENNE SHAW, ASSSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MEDIA STUDIES AND PRODUCTION AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, LOOKS OVER A PRINTED VERSION OF A DIGITAL TIMELINE OF LGBT HISTORY CREATED BY HER STUDENTS. Photo: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University.

Twitter with the course hashtag.

Shaw would then post the questions into her lecture and get the students involved with the discussion. This created a sense of community in the class.

“Overall, [it was] just a fun and laid-back class, a better learning environment in my opinion,” Brizuela said.

In order to give students a sense of history, Shaw assigned a collaborative timeline where they listed five events crucial to LGBT history. All of the events were put together into one timeline for the

class to see and refer to throughout the semester.

The students were also required to do group presentations. They were tasked with finding a media text with LGBT representation and relating it to the readings and course discussions. The groups presented television shows such as HBO’s “True Blood” and “Looking,” as well as Showtime’s “Weeds” and Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.”

Throughout the semester, students could attend any cultural PAGE 4 event in the

In today’s times, the LGBTequality movement has never been stronger. Now that we live in an Internet age where communication and new ideas travel at the speed of light, the movement has been able to grow exponentially from what could be considered a humble origin, with the writings of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs and the infamous Stonewall Riots.

Two individuals who exemplify the strong nature of today’s equality movement are Avery McNair and Da’Shawn “Dalyla” Baker. Both of The Attic Youth Center members are capable and intelligent young adults who will serve as Youth Grand Marshals of this year’s Pride parade — and who have shown courage, endurance and, perhaps above all else, leadership.

McNair, 17, has already shown herself to be a capable, confident and exceptional individual who is a proven leader not only to her peers but also the entire community. McNair, a junior at Charter High School for Architecture + Design, has been a leader in The Attic’s drag group and Work and

Pageantry as a tool of support and encouragement

By William E. Shelton II, 26 Pageants are known for their glamorous costumes, bright lights, dazzling performances and brutal judging. But this year’s Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot pageant plans to transcend and redefine what it means to “walk the runway.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot isn’t a beauty pageant or a talent show.

It is about being ambassadors and being a spokesperson for the community. That can take you anywhere in life,” said Dan Mangini, an LGBTQ community activist and strong proponent of the Q Spot.

Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot is a free event created by young adults of the Q Spot to give LGBTQ youth the opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities among their peers. The Q Spot is a late-night

safe space and resource program for individuals ages 18-29 in the LGBTQ community.

Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot will take place June 28 at William Way LGBT Community Center. There will be four categories in which contestants can participate: presentation (runway), formal attire, a question-and-answer session by the judges and a talent performance, where contestants can showcase any talent, from poetry to lip-synching.

“I’m for anything to better and to bring this community together.

Our own community is divided.

I would love to see us be one in our community,” said Stevetta Vinowski, founder and CEO of an anti-bullying group called The Freedom Organization.

Vinowski will be performing for the opportunity to call herself

Mrs. Q Spot.

Like many of the other contestants, Vinowski sees the pageant as an opportunity to change her community by leaving a positive impact. The winners will receive a stunning tiara, sashes and a special giveaway package. Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot will become ambassadors of the young-adult LGBTQ community and compete in other LGBTQA pageants in the region, including Black Gay Pride.

“We are stepping it up this year with leaders, pioneers, entrepreneurs and artists coming from a wide range of backgrounds. I think anyone that attends [Mr. and Mrs. Q Spot] will see that our contestants are inspiring,” said Quincy Greene, the founder of the Q Spot, while talking to the contestants in his office at William Way. One of the goals of the Q Spot

is to develop leaders in the community who have shown perseverance and allow them to use their story to inspire others, creating a new movement of love, support and encouragement among young LGBTQ adults. The organizers of Mr. and Ms. Q Spot want contestants to use their uniqueness as a source of strength and motivation to go beyond their limitations.

“It’s being different in this community that is going to make you stand out,” Mangini said. “What was looked at as negative growing up in a heterosexual world can make ‘Johnny,’ who is voguing down the street — which would have gotten him beaten up in high school — that can make him fabulous in our community.”

The Q Spot values the diversity among all members of the community. Each PAGE 4

YOUTH PRIDE MARSHALS AVERY MCNAIR (TOP) AND DA’SHAWN “DALYLA” BAKER

W.E.R.Q. (Work and Education Readiness for Queer Youth).

When asked what inspired her to be such a leader in her community, she graciously responded by saying, “I PAGE 4

What’s inside — A voice to end the blood ban: page 2 — A rallying call for help with the youth home: page 3 — Photos: page 4 — Re-reading the alphabet soup of sexuality: page 5 — Attic chat on Philly Pride: page 6 — OK to be gay; Visual arts to end violence: page 7 — Playhouse has “Open House” and poem “Love is Free”: page 8

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

3rd place, Column Writing • Angela Thomas — 1st place, Online Breaking News — “Giovanni’s Room to be sold” • Angela Thomas — 2nd place, Online Breaking News — “City Council passes LGBT equality bill, first in the nation”

NLGJA, Sigma Delta Chi, and Other Special Awards

2015

2013

PA NewsMedia Association: Keystone Press Awards • Jen Colletta — Honorable mention, Series — “After prison, one-half of ‘gay-porn twins’ speaks out” • Scott A. Drake — 2nd place, Sports Photo — “Crash Landing” • Staff — Honorable mention, Special Project — LGBTQ Youth Supplement SPJ: Keystone Spotlight Awards • Jen Colletta — 2nd place, Editorial Writing • Jen Colletta, Angela Thomas, Scott A. Drake, Sean Dorn — 1st place, Spot News Story — “Pennsylvania says ‘I do’” • Jen Colletta and Sarah Blazucki — 2nd Place, Spot News Story — “City mourns LGBT director Gloria Casarez” • Scott A. Drake — 1st place, Photo Story — “Philly Pride 2014” • Mark Segal — 3rd place, Commentary — “Mark My Words” National Newspaper Association • Staff — 3rd place, Newspaper in Education Stories — LGBTQ Youth Supplement PA NewsMedia Association: Newspaper of the Year Awards • Staff — 1st place, Promotion — 2nd place, Diversity — 2nd place, Special Section — Bucks County and Wedding issues — 2nd place, Community Service — Youth and World AIDS Day supplements Local Media Association: Newspaper of the Year Awards • Staff — 2nd place, Division C

2016

Local Media Association: Excellence in Local News Coverage • Staff — 1st place, Best Coverage to Reach Millennials — LGBTQ Youth Supplement — 1st place, Best Local Coverage / Community Contributors — Senior Supplement — 2nd place, Best Local News Coverage Using Social Media — 3rd place, Best Local Election Coverage — 3rd place, Best Feature Series — “Day in the Life Of” — Honorable mention, Community Service Award — World AIDS Day Supplement — Honorable mention, Community Service Award — LGBTQ Youth Supplement • Mark Segal — Third place, Best Opinion Writing — “Mark My Words” PA NewsMedia Association: Keystone Press Awards • Jen Colletta — Second place, Editorial • Jen Colletta, Scott Drake, Sean Dorn — Second place, General News — “Coverage of SCOTUS marriage decision” • Jen Colletta First place, Ongoing News Coverage “Coverage of Philadelphia gay-bashing case” • Staff — Honorable mention, niche publication • Paige Cooperstein — 2nd place, News Feature Story — “Sisterhood and brotherhood in Gay Officer Action League” • Scott Drake, Sean Dorn — Honorable mention, Graphics — “1965-2015 Timeline” * Denotes no awards were recorded.

53

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association: Excellence in Journalism Awards

2010

• Jen Colletta — Excellence in News Writing — “Researchers: Gays excluded from clinical trials” • Scott A. Drake — Excellence in Photojournalism Award — “PDA with a purpose”

2012

• Jen Colletta — Runner-up, Sarah Pettit Journalist of the Year Award • Jen Colletta — 3rd place, Excellence in News Writing • Timothy Cwiek — 3rd place, Excellence in News Writing — Coverage of Nizah Morris case • Scott Drake — 2nd place, Excellence in Photojournalism — “Gay Blades”

2014

• Tim Cwiek — Excellence in News Writing — Coverage of Nizah Morris case

2015

• Scott A. Drake — 2nd place, Excellence in Photojournalism — “Pride in Philly” • Mark Segal — 1st place, Opinion/ Editorial Writing — “Mark My Words”

Special Awards 1999

GLAAD: Media Awards

• Staff — Outstanding LGBT Print Media

2001

The Society for News Design: The Best of Newspaper Design Awards

• Doug Gruse — Award of Excellence in A&E Design

2013

Society of Professional Journalists: Sigma Delta Chi Awards • Timothy Cwiek — Investigative Reporting — Nizah Morris case

2014

PA Bar Association: William A. Schnader Print Media Awards

• Jen Colletta — 1st place, Beat Coverage — “Coverage of marriage equality case”

2014

Society of Professional Journalists: Sigma Delta Chi Awards • Scott A. Drake — Sports Photo — “Almost Home”

54

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

40 years ago in PGN

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First Gay Lobby Day in Harrisburg Adapted from reporting by M. David Stein

ACLU takes case of out Delaware professor Adapted from reporting by PGN staff

About 80 gay activists met with nearly as many state legislators March 23, 1976, in Harrisburg for the first Gay Lobby Day, organized by the Gay Rural Caucus.

The lobbying took place one day after state Reps. Norman Berson, a Philadelphia Democrat, and Joseph Rhodes, an Allegheny County Democrat, introduced a gay-rights bill.

Participants were divided into teams to tackle lawmakers from their home regions. The Pittsburgh group met with 23 legislators, while the Philadelphia contingent met with about 30.

In a half-hour discussion with lobbyists, state Sen. Thomas Nolan, a Pittsburgh-area Democrat, said the gayrights bill wouldn’t pass in the Senate while he served as majority leader. He supported a bill that would prevent gay people from holding jobs in mental health and physical rehabilitation, among other areas where bodily contact was an occupational necessity.

“There were no startling success stories and no embarrassing gaffes,” Stein reported of the overall experience, “just a lot of hard work that may have a modest reward next time the Assembly votes on bills affecting Pennsylvania gays.”

The American Civil Liberties Union entered the case of Richard Aumiller, the openly gay University of Delaware faculty member who was being threatened with dismissal because of his sexual orientation.

The ACLU filed suit Feb. 20, 1976, in U.S. District Court against the university, its president Dr. Edward A. Trabant and a number of other administrative officials.

The suit alleged Aumiller, who worked as theater director at the university, was denied his constitutional rights to free speech, free association and due process of law. It asked for Aumiller to be reinstated to his job and for $150,000 in compensatory and punitive damages and court costs.

Aumiller, 26, was hired in the fall of 1975. Soon after, he began advising the university’s 80-member Gay Community group. University officials said Aumiller’s writings about “gay lifestyles” in school and local newspapers “gave the impression that the university sanctions homosexuality,” which the school deemed unacceptable. n

— compiled by Paige Cooperstein

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

State council on LGBT issues leaves legacy 40 years later

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Two years ago, Jason Landau Goodman heard whispers about a Council for Sexual Minorities established through the governor’s office. He took a trip to the tall concrete slab that houses the state’s historical documents in Harrisburg. The staff pulled records from Gov. Milton Shapp’s administration in 1976, revealing meeting minutes and letters pertaining to the council.

“It’s very powerful and meaningful that the state kept them,” said Landau Goodman, founding executive director of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress. But he noted the discovery showed “we don’t teach our history in the LGBT community, certainly not well or with intention.”

He partnered with the LGBT History Project at the LGBT Center of Central PA to shine a light on the early activism.

People are invited to learn more about the Council for Sexual Minorities, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, at an event that takes place from 6-8 p.m. April 12 at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg.

At least a dozen original members of the council plan to attend, said Barry Loveland, chairman of the LGBT History Project.

That lineup includes Dr. Anthony Silvestre, former chairman of the council. Other nota-

bles are Samuel Deetz, former chairman of the Gay Rural Caucus, and Mark Segal, publisher of PGN. An exhibit called “We’re Here: Pioneering LGBT Rights in Pennsylvania” will open in conjunction with the anniversary event and runs through Oct. 30. It’s the first time the State Museum has featured an LGBT exhibit.

“We have a rich history of LGBT advocacy in Pennsylvania,” Landau Goodman said. “There are incredible activists who’ve been forgotten by many. We need to say, ‘Your sacrifice was meaningful.’”

He said the council discussed rural versus urban representation and movement priorities. Members talked about marriage for same-sex couples, a goal that was realized last summer. The council also wanted to move state legislation for nondiscrimination and make schools more affirmative environments for LGBT students. Work in those areas remains ongoing.

The council formed out of a meeting Shapp had with Segal and Harry Langhorne, politics reporter for PGN in its early days.

Segal said he was surprised the governor agreed to meet with him in the first place, much less that he would immediately agree to create a Council for Sexual Minorities.

“It was the first time any governor in the United States of America had ever met with a gay activist or an out gay man publicly,”

Segal said. “I requested the governor’s council, which no one had ever thought of before because there’d never been anything like a governmental body just to look into the problems that LGBT people have with government.”

Segal said he and Langhorne prepared for the meeting by talking about ways that state officials could help LGBT people.

“We didn’t really figure it out until we actually got into the meeting and all of a sudden I just sprang it on the governor,” Segal said. “He said, ‘Write me up a proposal.’”

About a year of meetings of the ad-hoc Governor’s Gay Rights Task Force followed before the council was officially organized with appointed members. By 1976, about 30 people from the LGBT community across Pennsylvania were meeting regularly with representatives from eight major state agencies. Segal remembered the meetings were run very conservatively with Robert’s Rules of Order.

Segal said he’s proud of the accomplishments of the council, including getting the state police to accept openly gay cadets. He looks forward to celebrating the legacy of the council, which ran in earnest through the end of Gov. Dick Thornburg’s administration in 1987.

While campaigning for governor in 1986, Bob Casey Sr. told PGN he would continue

the Council for Sexual Minorities. But he neglected to reappoint its members when he took office.

“I’ve thought for a long time that we need to reconstitute the council or create some similar office in state government that serves as a liaison for the LGBT community,” said Loveland of the LGBT History Project. “There’s so much more work that needs to happen to make sure services are delivered in a nondiscriminatory way.

“There’s definitely a missing component there,” he added.

Loveland said he hopes young activists would come to the council anniversary event to learn about the work that had been done in the past. He said that would help them inform their work going forward.

Landau Goodman shared that view.

He said his work advocating with young LGBT people has become richer since he started his research at the state archives.

“I don’t just say the state of LGBT rights today, but I talk about the landscape,” he said.

Landau Goodman also spearheaded the organization of a Steering Committee this year, which brings together LGBT grassroots organizers from across the state to coalesce the voice of LGBT Pennsylvania.

He considers the group a “spiritual offspring” of the Council for Sexual Minorities. n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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Philadelphia Gay News’ staffers 1976-2016 Bob Adams Fran Allison Dana Allison Michael Anderer Walt Armstrong Bruce Atzer David Augustine Jim Austin Tommi Avicolli Marco Baker Ed Barnard Allison Bechdell Casey Bell Irene Benedetti Bill Bernardo Sarah Blazucki Jeff Bonczewski Deborah Boyle Nancy Brannan Jerry Brennan Sydney Brinkley Frank Broderick Tony Brown Victoria Brownworth George Bullock Brian Caffall Ken Calcagnini Dan Calhoun Jennifer Camper Tim Cardullo Thom Cardwell Debbi Castel Berry Chamness David Chaplin Michael Chapman Keith Clark Henry Clay Stuart Cohen Meryl Cohn Jen Colletta

Carlos Colon Willie Colon Michael Connolly Janet Cooper Paige Cooperstein Timothy Cwiek Mubarik Dahir Dan Daniel Henri David Gary Day Carlos Decena Jackie Delpino Joe DeMarco Berren deMortier Greg Dennis Jeff Derringer Alison Dickman David DiDonato Laura DiFrancesco Robert DiGiacomo Shawn Dillon Nicole Dillon Sean Dorn Scott A. Drake Shannon Duffy Harry Eberlin Patrick Egan Jack Elias Marty Elliott Lawrence Ferber Albert Fernandez Elizabeth Finkler Laurie Fitzpatrick Nick Forte Virginia Fowler Andrew Fuellhart Richard Gajewski Mary Ann Giacomucci Joseph Giampino Scott Giordano

Carol Giunta Katharine Gleason Salvatore Gliozzi Ryan Goldner Mike Gordon Karen Goulart Ken Gould Joe Green Jen Gregory Barbara Grider Jeffrey Grosky Seth Grossman Danielle Grote Douglas Gruse Rich Grzesiak Christopher Guly J.R. Guthrie J.S. Hall John Hansen Paul Hanson Ed Harding Brent Hartinger Bill Haught Victor Havens Alicia Hicks Dale High Wayne Hoffman DuMont Howard Tonia Howick N.F. Ingram Tom Irvin Philip Janison Penny Jeannechild Tom Johnson Jen Johnson Alex Joseph Ryan Kasley Lisa Keen Denise Keiler Carole Keit

Michael Kelly James Kennedy Lorrie Kim Robert Kirby Gene Kohl Jim Kollbocker Gary Kramer Randi Krow Louise Kuney Michael Labance Nancy Lamar Tim Landt Harry Langhorne Annette Lein Stephen Leslie Debra Levie Morgan Levine Jason Lewis Paul Lisker Derek Livingston Tony Lombardo Teri Lombardo Rick Lombardo Paul Long Phil Losco Brooke Lutz Lee Lynch David MacDonald Jim Madden Jack Malloy Patsi Marsalis Bill Martin Karen Martin Michael Mascioli Amy Mather Martin Matsueda Bill Mattis Gregg Mayfield John McCalla Daniel McCauley

David McDowell Russell McGill Donna McMahon Richard McPeake Shilpa Mehta Kevin Melrose Kass Mencher Anne-Marie Mendonca John Menne Sarah Miller Tim Miller Bruce Mirken Kevin Montgomery Ian Morrison Eric Morse Meikado Murphy Kate Musselman David Nardozzi Roni Narr Suzi Nash Larry Nichols Thom Nickels Greg Northam Arlene Olson Eric Orner Eddy Palumbo Al Patrick Phillip Payette Dan Perry John Petale Don Pignolet Sandy Pilla Gary Poe Drew Porter Christopher Potter Ellen Primack Brian Ramey Kirk Read Donna Record Judith Redding

Shawn Regal Scott Reikofski Robin Renee Jim Rice Bill Richards Daniel Richmond Jack Rinella Kevin Riordan Lisa Riotta Lee Robbins Bob Roehr Pat Romanelli Kelly Root Beth Rose Gary Roseman Richard Rusinow Gary Salles Prab Sandhu David Schepp William Schmahl Chris Schwam Arie Schwartz Harriet Schwartz Ellen Scott Domenick Scudera Mark Segal Jan Sergienko Thom Shafer Gregg Shapiro Matthew Shinn Karen Shoffner Richard Shumate Bob Silverman Allen Smalling Gwendolyn Ann Smith Alan Smith Bill Smith Tami Sortman David Stein Mary Ann Stover

Frank Strausbaugh Denise Sudell M.K. Sweeney Al Taylor Angela Thomas Lisa Thompson Patti Tihey Mpozi Tolbert Sally Tyre Stephen Tyson Jenn Urganus Jennifer Vanasco Paul Varnell Jack Veasey Joe Venuti Larry Vitacco Jackie Walsh Stanley Ward John Ward Steve Warren Ryk Warren David Watson Joel Weiner Brad Weinstein Lisa White Lewis White Lewis Whittington Cynthia Wilson C.D. Woodhouse Bert Wylen Ernie Wysilek Jessica Xavier John Zeh Yvonne Zipter

In Memoriam, PGN staff

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Throughout PGN’s 40 years, our pages have carried countless obituaries on members of our community.

As a community newspaper, we have remained committed to offering this service free of charge to our readers, to help them share the news and to memorialize the life of their loved one.

Occasionally, we have had to report on the loss of some of our own staff members. Here are a few of the PGN employees who left their mark on us.

Frank Broderick (February 1993, age 38): Broderick was a writer and later an associate editor of PGN from 1976 through the early 1980s before going on to co-found Au Courant.

Brian Caffall (May 2003, age 56): Caffall was a local freelance writer who contributed stories to PGN, Philadelphia Weekly and City Paper and also worked as an HIV/AIDS educator.

John Keith Clark (May 2003, age 61): Clark was PGN’s editor and co-owner at its inception in 1976. He later served as managing editor and writer, as well as a contributor to other LGBT publications such as the Bay Area Reporter.

Harry Eberlin (December 2006, age 69): Eberlin was PGN’s first photographer and was integral in documenting some of the city’s early LGBT developments.

Harry Langhorne (May 2001, age 53): Langhorne was the former president of

Gay Activist Alliance and a member of the Gay Raiders. He started as a writer in PGN’s first year and later became political editor.

John Mandes (September 2008, age 55): Mandes was a PGN editor from 199193, after starting as a reporter. He is credited with heightening the publication’s emphasis on design.

Jan Sergienko (November 1978, age 26): Sergienko was PGN staff writer in its earliest years and an active member of the National Organization for Women.

Mpozi Tolbert (July 2006, age 34): Tolbert was a freelance photographer for PGN in the 1990s. His photos were also published by the New York Times,

Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.

Sally Tyre (August 1983, age 40): Tyre was a PGN advertising representative and later advertising manager and consultant from the late 1970s to early 1980s. She ran the private lesbian club Mamzelle’s in the mid-’80s.

Stanley Ward (August 2010, age 67): Ward served as PGN editor from 198388, guiding the paper through its coverage of the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

Joel Weiner (April 2009, age 59): Weiner was a member of PGN’s advertising staff from 1997-2009, serving as advertising director for five years before his retirement. n

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Four decades of PGN

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com The LGBT community has changed over the last four decades, as has Philadelphia Gay News’ role in engaging with it.

When the paper started as a monthly publication in 1976, it reported national, state and local news with equal emphasis. How else would a gay person living in Philadelphia at the time hear about a man arrested in North Carolina for having consensual sex with his same-sex partner, or that the U.S. Supreme Court soon after ruled it was constitutional for a state to prohibit private same-sex acts?

Since then, mainstream media has picked up its coverage. In 2015, people were as likely to read about decision day in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that affirmed marriage equality, in PGN as in The New York Times. The difference? PGN focused the story on the Philadelphia perspective, with reporters attending rallies at Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center.

As a community newspaper, PGN not only has an interest in the LGBT story, but the story of LGBT Philadelphia and how the city touches national narratives. In celebration of PGN’s 40th anniversary, the paper is taking a look back at themes that emerged in its coverage of the LGBT community through the years.

Visibility: 1976-1986 The early stories of PGN highlighted LGBT people partly as a way of introducing those in the community to each other and also chronicled the community’s introduction to the broader world.

One story from December 1977 detailed a press conference at which the Community Alliance of Philadelphia, a group for gay business professionals in the city, “announced its formation to straights.”

Earlier that year, Ed Rendell toured six gay bars as part of his campaign for district attorney and, after he won the November election, he promised gay people a “friend in the D.A.’s office.” It showed the importance of increased visibility in gaining political allies.

From 1976-77, the paper followed Richard Aumiller, an openly gay professor at the University of Delaware who was dismissed soon after he began advising the gay campus group. The American Civil Liberties Union took Aumiller’s case, and the university ultimately dropped its defense in the wrongful termination. Duke University hired Aumiller in September 1977.

Trans people appeared in PGN throughout the first decade of the paper. Paula Grossman, a music teacher from Plainfield, N.J., who was fired because of her sexchange operation, was highlighted in

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

April 1979 for privately publishing a 74-page book called, “A Handbook for Transsexuals.” A month later, PGN covered Jenell Ashlie, a trans art teacher fired from a Delaware County school. A U.S. District Court judge ordered the Chester-Upland School District to reinstate her.

After Gov. Dick Thornburgh took office in 1979, he signed a proclamation declaring June 24-30 as Gay Pride Week in Pennsylvania. The document said it served as a “reaffirmation of the state’s commitment to the principles of equal treatment under the law for all citizens.” He was the first Republican governor to officially recognize his state’s gay residents. State representatives voted 180-14 to condemn Thornburgh for the proclamation, and by the end of 1979, Dr. Ethel Allen, a longtime supporter of gay rights, was fired as secretary of the commonwealth. Several supporters thought her role in getting Thornburgh to sign the controversial Gay Pride proclamation was a factor in the firing.

Philadelphia made good on the promise of upholding equality. In August 1980, the Gay Community Police Liaison Committee formed. The city then passed a gay-rights bill in 1984. It protected people from discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and public accommodation.

PGN showed how Philadelphia’s LGBT community also worked to become a visible part of the national LGBT community. In July 1977, 2,300 people went to the now-defunct club Second Story for a roast of Anita Bryant, a vocal supporter of antigay legislation. They raised $10,800 to contribute to the gay-rights campaign in Miami. More than $3,000 was raised the following year at a Philadelphia fundraiser to fight Prop. 6, a California initiative that would have severely curtailed gay rights in public schools.

Community: 1986-1996 Nearly every front page of PGN in the mid-’80s to early-’90s was dedicated to the AIDS epidemic. Nationally, the paper covered the Coalition for Leadership on AIDS, which included activists from Pennsylvania. At a march the group organized in Washington, D.C., in June 1987, 64 of the 350 demonstrators were arrested. PGN also included a several-page news analysis of the Third International Conference on AIDS in Washington that summer.

Stories on the effectiveness of AZT and trials for an experimental drug called lymphokine appeared frequently. There were also several stories on engaging churches in the black community to help spread the word about preventing infection.

In early 1987, Philadelphia City Councilman John White Jr. met with members of the state Council for Sexual Minorities to discuss AIDS outreach in the black community.

“He said you can’t get into the black community with white representatives,” Harrisburg activist Rodger Beatty told PGN at the time.

It seemed the tragedy of a quickly spread-

ing, little-known virus worked to bring people together in the community. Gay men, a particularly hard-hit population in the early epidemic, especially rallied around each other.

The Hill of Hope Association set up an AIDS memorial in May 1987 in Fairmount Park.

“A lot of people never get a chance to say goodbye to their people,” said Gary Ermelin, project coordinator for the memorial.

The voices of people affected by AIDS grew louder, especially after President Ronald Reagan made his first public acknowledgement of the disease in Philadelphia. Reagan was at Franklin Wyndham Plaza for the 200th anniversary of the College of Physicians.

“Six years ago the world had never heard of AIDS,” he said, calling the malady “public-health emergency number one.”

But Reagan added, “All the medicine in the world won’t change the fact that prevention is better than cure. We must remember that medicine cannot replace morality.”

He concluded by saying the biggest priority in fighting AIDS was funding research.

PGN followed the AIDS money trail throughout the second decade of the paper’s existence. Delaware did not fund AIDS efforts as aggressively as New Jersey, Pennsylvania or even Philadelphia.

Delaware Gov. Michael Castle earmarked $41,700 for AIDS funding in 1988 after the state Department of Health and Social Services sought $74,800. New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean proposed a 1988 budget with $21.9 million for AIDS, five-and-a-half times more than the $4 million reserved for AIDS efforts in 1987. Pennsylvania’s 1988 budget included $3.3 million for AIDS, an increase from $350,000 in the first budget proposal for that year.

Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode proposed at least $500,000 for AIDS work in the city’s 1988 budget, with $177,000 set aside to establish the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office.

By the end of 1991, community organizing had so well plugged into funding opportunities that Pennsylvania gave the OK to opening a 43-bed AIDS hospice in Germantown. Betak AIDS Care Facility opened at 7141 McCallum St. Activism: 1996-2006 Following the mobilization of LGBT people and organizations around resources for those affected by AIDS, PGN ramped up coverage of activism in the community. The fight for domestic partnerships in Philadelphia and marriage in the nation got a lot of ink.

In the Jan. 3, 1997 issue, PGN ran a front-page story about City Councilman John Street’s efforts to block an executive order by Mayor Ed Rendell that called for domestic partnership benefits for city employees.

“Gays, lesbians and their allies sent postcards, wrote letters and made phone calls and testified at a city council public hear-

ing,” the article reported, calling Street’s action a unifying force for LGBT activists working at the time in Philadelphia.

The next week’s issue featured interviews with Kevin Vaughan, the out head of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, and Leah Chaplin, the out director of contract administration for the city office of housing. They were the first to apply for domestic-partner benefits.

Chaplin wanted leave and health benefits for her partner of 17 years. Vaughan was seeking leave benefits for his partner of sixand-a-half years.

Philadelphia ultimately issued domestic-partner benefits to its employees. And, in a mark of the powerful activism happening at the time, Street decided to get on board with the benefits. In the April 16, 2004 issue, PGN again put Street on the front page. This time, it was for his decision as mayor to appeal a Commonwealth Court ruling that said the city did not have the authority to offer domestic-partnership benefits. Street told PGN he’d continue to enforce the benefits while the appeal went to the state Supreme Court. In December 2004, the state’s highest court upheld Philadelphia’s ordinance offering benefits to domestic partners.

At the same time, Massachusetts was looking beyond domestic partnerships and aiming for marriage for same-sex couples.

PGN’s coverage shows that as early as 1997, there was a national debate swirling around marriage equality. An article from Jan. 17 that year reported that nationwide controversy surrounding same-sex marriage prompted the ACLU of Delaware to begin a Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights project.

Issues from the late-’90s-on were filled with stories of same-sex couples seeking marriage in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

A lot of the coverage came from the Associated Press, which speaks to the trend of LGBT issues making it to the mainstream press.

PGN printed articles throughout 2004 following the quest to marry of Julie and Hillary Goodridge in Massachusetts, culminating in May 2004 when same-sex couples were legally able to marry in that state.

Defending victories: 2006-2016 The years 2015 pushed marriage to its ultimate conclusion at the U.S. Supreme Court in June.

PGN frequently ran maps illustrating states that allowed civil unions or full marriage, and those that had a constitutional ban on marriage between same-sex couples versus the ones that were challenging marriage bans in court.

The May 23, 2014, front page of PGN featured a five-photo spread of Philadelphians celebrating the Pennsylvania court decision that affirmed marriage equality, and Gov. Tom Corbett’s decision not to appeal the ruling.

The July 3, 2015, issue was packed with marriage coverage. The decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which affirmed marriage equality nationwide, fell just in time

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

with PGN’s advanced coverage of the 50th anniversary of the Annual Reminders, an early gay-rights protest at Independence Hall that began July 4, 1965.

The theme of coverage could be summed up in this quote from Chris Bartlett, executive director of the William Way LGBT Community Center: “Let’s enjoy this sweet moment of success and celebration and then take the energy and passion we have used with such effect to continue to pursue the path of full equality.”

The last decade in PGN’s coverage has encompassed a tempered optimism in the LGBT community. Successes have been lauded in the paper, but with an ever-present reminder to guard against attacks to the rights that have been hard won.

In 2009, PGN ran frequent front-page articles covering the introduction of a nondiscrimination law that would include protections for people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A nondiscrimination law was a major suggestion in the state Council for Sexual Minorities in the 1970s, but was never brought up for a vote.

“It’s time for us in the legislature to take a stand against this kind of discrimination,” said Rep. Dan Frankel of Allegheny County when he introduced House Bill 300 in March 2009. He said the bill “would bring our state in line with several of our neighbors who already offer these basic protections.”

PGN ran an article Jan. 17, 1992, highlighting the New Jersey legislators who “voted in overwhelming majority to add protections from discrimination based on ‘affectational or sexual orientation’ to the state’s law against discrimination.”

Pennsylvania still lacks these protections. The current iteration of the nondiscrimination bill is called the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, but it remains stalled in committee in the Republican-controlled legislature.

Some of the most recognizable reporting from the last decade comes from Tim Cwiek. Steadily over the years, he’s been covering Nizah Morris, a trans woman found with a fatal head wound after a Center City courtesy ride from Philadelphia police in 2002.

In 2014, Cwiek won an investigative reporting award from the Society of Professional Journalists, a national organization. His reporting is ongoing, with oral arguments in an open-records dispute scheduled for April 7.

Another recognizable piece of coverage spans the last two years. PGN editor Jen Colletta steadily covered the gay-bashing case against Kathryn Knott, Kevin Harrigan and Philip Williams, all of Bucks County. The three were convicted of attacking a gay couple in Center City in 2014.

Harrigan and Williams took plea deals that involved community service; Knott went to trial and received a jail sentence.

Colletta won a Keystone state press award for an editorial she wrote that took a deep dive into the public perception of Knott’s character, especially in the LGBT community, and how that impacted her case. n

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The Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch is a boutique firm specializing in immigration law. We have years of success helping people achieve their U.S. immigration goals. With the end of DOMA, we look forward to working with even more couples on family-based applications for permanent residence.

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Editors shaped PGN’s 40-year legacy

By Paige Cooperstein paige@epgn.com Al Patrick considered himself a news hound more than a gay activist. After graduating from Temple University with a journalism degree, he started working as a reporter for Philadelphia Gay News.

He wrote stories about an AIDS fundraiser bike ride misusing donations and the bureaucracy of the Philadelphia AIDS Task Force. Patrick then worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer before returning to PGN as editor in 1993.

“I was really so young and Mark took a big chance on me,” Patrick said of PGN publisher Mark Segal. He added, “My only agenda was news. I looked at it like I am editing a major weekly in Philadelphia and my readers happen to be gay.”

In celebration of PGN’s 40th anniversary, Patrick recalled his three-year tenure as editor. Current editor Jen Colletta also weighed in on the legacy of the paper she began leading in 2012, and where she sees it heading.

Patrick praised Segal for giving reporters and editors autonomy over news decisions.

“AIDS, of course, gave PGN a legitimacy that they wouldn’t have gotten from any other issue,” Patrick said.

“The thing I loved about writing editorials at that time was everybody at the big dailies was reading PGN.” Patrick said mainstream media started paying attention to smaller gay papers during the ’90s, largely to mine them for stories and understand the perspective on AIDS in the gay community. Once he spoke with the New York Times editorial board about PGN’s coverage.

During that time, Patrick said the look of PGN changed; it became a more professionally designed paper. On a personal level, Patrick enjoyed not having to stay mum about his sexual orientation at work.

“I could dance around the office and not have to look over my shoulder worried that the sports department would think, What is that fairy doing over there?” he said. “That was life-changing for me.”

Patrick recounted a story that stuck with him from his time as editor: the murder of a gay man who was found tied up in his Old City apartment. He said the goal was to approach the story objectively, but some advocacy crept in. Police assumed the case was a sex act gone wrong.

“When the cop said that to me,” Patrick

said, “I said, ‘So you wouldn’t look for me if I left my sexual partner in a moment of distress and he ultimately died?’”

The police did arrest a suspect for manslaughter, but Patrick felt the coverage could’ve taken the authorities to task more.

He also thought PGN in the 1990s could have devoted more space to covering transgender issues.

Colletta could be considered an offspring of Patrick in terms of editorial style. After graduating from La Salle University in 2007, Colletta landed a job as a reporter at PGN. Throughout her coverage and now as editor, she’s prioritized engaging the diversity of the community.

“There are so many different colors to the rainbow of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, religion, things like that,” Colletta said. “I’ve really tried to do what we can to bring all those voices into the paper.”

To that end, she started the semi-annual Youth Supplement, featuring content from young LGBT people across the Philadelphia region, and the annual Senior Supplement, a partnership with the LGBT Elder Initiative.

Colletta has also focused on growing PGN’s online presence. The paper has more than 6,000 likes on Facebook, up from about 800 when she focused on revamping the paper’s social-media presence in 2014. More news gets published daily online.

“The paper hits the streets on Fridays,” Colletta said, “but, obviously, we’ve had to pick up the pace and get big stories out right away. That’s been an adjustment.”

Marriage equality was a big part of the news cycle since Colletta started at the paper. She counts the July 3, 2015, issue of PGN as one of her favorites. That week’s paper included coverage of Obergefell v.

Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court case that affirmed marriage equality nationwide; the 50th anniversary of the Annual Reminders, an early gay-rights protest in Philadelphia; and the Senior Supplement.

Scott A. Drake, longtime PGN photographer, even camped out in front of the Supreme Court’s marble steps to get the front-page photograph of people celebrating the Obergefell decision.

“It was kind of a triple threat there,” Colletta said. “It took a lot of work on everybody’s part [in advertising and editorial]. But in the last couple years, that issue was one of our biggest accomplishments.”

“There are so many different colors to the rainbow of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, religion, things like that. I’ve really tried to do what we can to bring all those voices into the paper.”

n

The Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch is a boutique firm specializing in immigration law. We have years of success helping people achieve their U.S. immigration goals. With the end of DOMA, we look forward to working with even more couples on family-based applications for permanent residence.

We welcome inquiries on immigration equality for same-sex spouses. *Matthew I. Hirsch - Former INS atty, Adj. Professor of Immigration Law, Past Chair of Phila. Chapter of AILA

For more information, please contact us at: Info@hirschlaw1.com 150 Strafford Ave, Suite 110, Wayne PA 19087 P: 610.964.6100 │ F: 610.964.6106 www.hirschlaw1.com │ www.facebook.com/HirschLaw1

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

locations in Pennsylvania Allentown • Allentown Brew Works, 812 Hamilton St. • Candida, 247 N. 12th St. • Stonewall, 28-30 N. 10th St. • Annville • Lebanon Valley College, Sheridan Ave. • Ardmore • Ardmore Station, Anderson Ave. near Coulter Ave. • Bethlehem • LGBTQ Services Lehigh U, 25 Trembley Dr. • Bloomsberg • Bloomsberg University LGBTA Center, 400 E. Second St. • Bristol • Bristol News World, 576B Bristol Pike • Bryn Mawr • Bryn Mawr College, Canaday Library • Bryn Mawr Station, Morris Ave. near Bryn Mawr Ave. • Fox & Roach Realty, 763 Lancaster Ave. • Chester • AIDS Care Group, 2304 Edgemont Ave. • Harrah’s Chester Casino, 777 Harrah’s Blvd. • Widener University, 1 University Place • Collegeville • Adult World, 3975 Ridge Pike • Doylestown • Darkanyu, 504 Eagle Lane • Doylestown Bookshop, 16 S. Main St. • Siren Records, 25 E. State St. • East Stroudsburg • Rainbow Mountain Resort, 210 Mt. Nebo Road • Easton • Lafayette College, 101 Hogg Hall • La Pazza, 1251 Ferry St. • Gibson • Hillside Campground, 1 Creek Road • Glen Mills • Imago Dei MCC, 1223 Middletown Road • Glenside • Keswick Cycle, 408 N. Easton Road • Hanover Township • Venture Lounge, 1266 San Souci Parkway • Harrisburg • 704 Strawberry Cafe, 704 N. Third St. • AIDS Community Alliance, 100 N. Cameron St. • Brownstone Lounge, 412 Forster St. • MCC of the Spirit, 2973 Jefferson St. • Stallions, 706 N. Third St. • Haverford • Haverford Station, Haverford Station Road near Lancaster Ave. • Huntingdon • Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Rd. • Kutztown • Kutztown University, 15200 Main St. • Lancaster • Downtown Books, 227 N. Prince St. • Sundown Lounge, 429 N. Mulberry St. • Tally Ho Tavern, 201 W. Orange St. • Lansdale • Gwynedd Vet Hospital, 1615 W. Pointe Pike • Lehighton • Cristalees Restaurant, 130 S. 1st St. • Woods Campground, 845 Vaughn Acres Road • Levittown • Levitt Books, 7406 Bristol Pike • Malvern • Malvern Station, King St. & Warren Ave. • Media • Media Theater, 104 E. State St. • Penn State Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road, Suite 115 • Unitarian Universalist Church, 145 W. Rose Tree Road • Narberth • Narberth Station, Haverford & Narberth avenues • Newport • My Buddie’s Place, 2380 Susquehanna Trail •New Hope • Cornerstone Gym, 419 York Road • Eagle Diner, 6522 York Road • Havana, 105 S. Main St. • John & Peters Place, 96 S. Main St. • Karla’s Restaurant, 5 W. Mechanic St. • La Chateau Exotique, 31A W. Mechanic St.• Raven, 385 W. Bridge St. • Triumph Brewing Co., 400 Union Square Drive • Wishing Well B&B, 114 Old York Rd. • New Milford • Oneida Campground, 2580 E. Lake Road • Newtown • Bucks Co. Community College, 275 Swamp Road • Norristown • Revelations, 1832 Markley St. • North Wales • Adult World, 608 Upper State Road • Old Forge • Twelve Penny Saloon, 535 Hickory St. • Paoli • Paoli Station, North Valley Road & Lincoln Highway • Penns Park • United Methodist Church, 2394 Second St. Pike • Phoenixville • Artisans Gallery and Cafe, 234 Bridge St. • Steel City, 203 Bridge St. • Quakertown • Adult World, 880 S. West End Blvd. • Reading • Berks Aid Network, 429 Walnut St. • Reading Adult Center, 316 Penn St. • Rosemont • Rosemont Station, Airdale Road & Montrose Ave. • Sharon Hill • Sharon Hill Medical, 907 Chester Pike • Spring Grove • Atland’s Ranch, RR6, Box 6543 • Swarthmore • Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Parrish Hall • Temple • Naughty But Nice, 4502 N. Fifth St. • Upper Darby • Honor Box, 69th Street Station • Villanova • Villanova Station, Spring Mill Road near County Line Road • Warminster • Planned Parenthood of Bucks Co., 610 Louis Dr. • Wayne • Central Baptist Church, 106 W. Lancaster Ave. • Stafford Station, Old Eagle School & Crestline roads • Wayne Station, N. Wayne & West Ave. • West Chester • Chester County Books, 975 Paoli Pike • Wilkes Barre • Heat, 69-71 N. Main St. • Willow Grove • Barnes & Noble, 102 Park Ave. • Wynnwood • Wynnwood Station, Wynnewood & Penn roads •

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Contact: don@epgn.com or 215-451-6182 ext. 200 for delivery of complimentary copies.

Faces of PGN Our offices have been populated over the years by hundreds of folks — from advertising reps to writers to photographers to designers to support staff. Here are what just a few of the former (and current) contributors had to say about their time with PGN: Joe DeMarco “When I started writing for PGN, I was given many wonderful opportunities to cover not only splashy happenings but also features honing in on issues that didn’t get headline coverage. Mark Segal’s wisdom in knowing the importance of these issues was essential, as was the guidance of editors such as Rich Grzesiak and Stanley Ward, which gave me the openings to do some great work.

In 1983, my article ‘Gay Racism,’ which PGN courageously published, won the Best Feature Award from the Gay Press Association. I was up against the biggest names in the business at the time and I thought I had no chance. I left the awards ceremony before they reached that category. Later that day, I received a call from Rich Grzesiak who was in tears as he told me I’d won. That was a moment I’ve savored. And it was PGN that made it possible.

So, I wish a happy anniversary to PGN and to Mark Segal. I hope to appear in your pages again soon.”

Ian Morrison “I would not be the person I am today without having my start at the PGN. Patti Tihey brought me in as an intern and my first article was a review of a guide on ‘Coming Out.’ (It was the ’90s). My internship became a full-time position as the PGN’s editorial assistant, with my own weekly column called ‘The Buzz’ (again, it was the cheesy ’90s).

The AP style of writing was forever burned into my brain with ‘time, date and place’ being my most memorable words from that position.

During this time, my career as Brittany Lynn was skyrocketing from working at the legendary Shampoo Nightclub. Patti always kept me in line by making sure both worlds never collided, and I was never allowed to write or feature any of the events I was in while writing my column. The only time my professional world and Brittany’s collided was when I won Miss’d America by performing a number where I gave birth on stage; Mark Segal was head judge and he just loved that number.

My job at PGN led me to becoming

the advertising and PR director for Live Link. It was a chat line (Gay Live), and I took over all of the cities that the company existed in. My job was to create ‘awareness’ for the chat lines. So they flew me to seven different cities with a huge budget to throw events and for Brittany to headline!

With my status as Brittany Lynn growing and growing, I now got the opportunity to work with the legends of club life — drag queens and party promoters — and got paid while touring all over the country!

After the technology changed from chat lines to the Internet, I took over as an advertising and PR director for Manhunt for Philadelphia and the Tri-State Area.

Go figure that my journalist internship could lead to a successful PR and advertising career, with an added benefit of launching a huge drag career.

I should mention that I formed the Miss Fancy Brigade — the Mummers’ only LGBT drag and trans brigade that leads the very front of the parade — with Mark by my side.

I owe so much to Mark and the PGN, and will be forever grateful.

Thank you and here’s to another 40 years and more!”

Suzi Nash a “Having chance to share the stories of people from all over the city and beyond for over a decade has had a tremendous effect on me.

For starters, it has made me a font of wisdom. I was just talking to someone who was complaining about a crick in their neck and immediately I said, ‘You should see Dan Myers, I did his profile a while back.’ Need a therapist or a tattoo artist, someone to perform your commitment ceremony or to help euthanize your pet? I’ve probably profiled someone who can do it.

I love shining a spotlight on someone doing wonderful things who may have gone unnoticed or showing a different side of people we see often in the community.

I’ve gotten to see some magnificent performances, gotten insight on different perspectives, frustrated three very patient editors and made an awful lot of friends through the column.

I appreciate the accolades I’ve been given for my work and always get a warm feeling when a friend, spouse, parent or loved one tells me, ‘You nailed them. You captured their essence perfectly.’ I’ve had people tell me they’ve found help, solace and love through the column or just an entertaining read that brightens their day a little.

And every time I hear it, it makes my day shine a little brighter too.” n — compiled by Larry Nichols

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PGN journalist’s 40-year adventure

By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com I’ve written news stories for PGN for 40 years, making me one of the longest-serving journalists for an LGBT news outlet in the world. Over the years, people have asked how I’ve lasted so long.

If the truth be told, I’ve never felt my contributions at PGN to be “work,” in the traditional sense of the word. It sounds hokey, but I’ve always felt my efforts to be a “labor of love.”

The great philosopher Thomas Carlyle said, “Do the duty that lies nearest to you.”

The duty that lies nearest to me is to shine a light on LGBT issues. It’s my “kismet.” It’s what nourishes my spirit, and makes my heart sing.

As a cub reporter in 1976, the world became my canvas and PGN provided a paintbrush to portray any LGBT-related injustice taking place.

I’m fortunate to work for a publisher, Mark Segal, who shares my philosophy of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.

The great thing about PGN is that Mark will have your back, no matter how many feathers you might ruffle, when he sees that you’re conscientiously searching for the truth. When Mark sees you’re acting in good faith to tell a story that needs

to be told, he’ll provide all the resources at his disposal to help you accomplish that goal.

An example would be a $900 phone bill I ran up on a story about insurance companies dropping men they discovered to be gay or otherwise refusing to insure gay men. I had to call every major insurance company nationwide, during a time when there was no Internet and long-distance calls were very expensive.

Was Mark thrilled with the bill? No. But he paid it without a murmur because he knew it was incurred during the course of a diligent search for the truth.

In a similar story many years later — but still before the Internet — Blue Cross actually tried to get an injunction to prevent one of my stories from being published.

Everyone at PGN went into overdrive, ensuring the paper hit the streets before a judge had a chance to rule on the request.

Ironically, today PGN has Blue Cross as its employee health-care provider and Blue Cross has much more egalitarian policies.

I’m also grateful for PGN’s longstanding policy that a news story will run even if it doesn’t reflect favorably on a PGN

advertiser. A story will be published regardless of the potential of losing an ad.

I’m not sure that was true at all LGBT media outlets over the years.

PGN ran dozens of my news stories about a local Boy Scouts council that occupied a city-owned building on the Ben Franklin Parkway while refusing to accept openly LGBT participants.

It took several years, and lengthy litigation, to end that situation. It wasn’t easy.

PGN was accused of being anti-American, of being a bunch of “bitter old queens” who hated children.

Despite those unfounded attacks, the paper never wavered in its coverage, and the Boy Scouts eventually had to leave the building. Thankfully, the organization is moving in the direction of more equitable membership policies.

Journalists are sometimes accused of being “dilettantes,” people who flit from story to story without any depth.

Nobody can accuse anyone at PGN of being a dilettante in the Nizah Morris case.

Morris was a trans woman and popular entertainer in Philadelphia. In 2002, she

was found on a Center City street corner with a fatal head wound, shortly after being inside a police vehicle for a “courtesy ride.”

I’ll never forget being in PGN’s newsroom and receiving a phone call from Nizah’s mother, Roslyn Wilkins, encouraging me to find out anything I could about her child’s death. She wasn’t at all comfortable with the story she was getting from police.

That particular story has been a 13-year journey, and counting! Hundreds of articles have been written. Records have been pried loose, the city’s Police Advisory Commission revisited the case and a movement is growing for state and federal probes.

All of this resulted in PGN receiving a Society of Professional Journalists investigative-reporting award — a first for any LGBT media outlet.

In 2014, I had a wonderful time traveling to Washington, D.C., with Mark Segal and PGN editor Jen Colletta to accept the award. It was a memorable occasion and an honor I’ll forever cherish.

The award also reinforced my belief that if you do the duty that lies closest to your heart, you’ll reap untold benefits, often when you least expect them. You may not amass a fortune financially. But in other ways, you’ll become wealthy beyond measure. n

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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Decades of love, spurred by PGN ad

By Gary M. Kramer PGN Contributor “Hang Out and Have Fun!” read the ad placed

by Frank Chile in the March 21, 1997 issue of PGN. Chile, then in his mid-30s, was working as a film publicist in Philadelphia. He was tired of the club scene in the 1990s.

“That’s how you met guys back then,” he told PGN. “I didn’t have a lot of gay friends at the time. I had heard good things about the personal ads in PGN — a friend of mine had met someone through them — so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

He placed his first ad the month before and received several responses. Chile met one guy for dinner, but he said “the chemistry wasn’t there.” His next date, however, was with Jeff Jin, a newly out 20-something graduate student in social work at Penn. They had dinner at Pasta Blitz (now Positano Coast) and saw “Beautiful Thing” at the Ritz, a film that has become a personal favorite of theirs.

“After meeting Jeff, I didn’t want to meet anyone else,” Chile said.

The couple, who lives in Voorhees, has been together for nearly 20 years — all because of that ad.

“Frank seemed very genuine in the ad,” said Jin, who had placed ads in PGN in the past himself.

Like Chile, Jin was not keen on the bar scene; he too was looking for a steady relationship.

“Guys in bars were after one thing, and that was not what I was looking for,” Jin explained.

“I had been seeing someone on and off that I had met the year before, but we had broken up.

After a couple of months, I saw Frank’s ad, so I figured, why not?”

On their first date, the two men were very comfortable with one another. Jin recalled, “It was as if I had known him a while. I was relaxed and he was relaxed.

And he paid for dinner and the movie — I was a starving student at the time!”

Chile concurred, “I really liked him. We had a lot in common and had a good conversation. We had the same taste in movies and liked the same food.

We just clicked.”

Two years after they met, they moved in together, into Chile’s condo in Voorhees. Two years after that, in 2001, they bought a condo together, and in 2004, became domestic partners, which was then legal in the state of New Jersey.

“It was something, which was better than nothing,” Chile observed about the domestic-partner arrangement. “It felt good to have some financial protection; we co-owned the condo.”

“We were looking for something permanent.

It was the first legal verification of our relationship that we could get,” Jin added. “We went to Haddonfield to get it done. It wasn’t a wedding. It was a legal status. There was no ring. The witness

was a woman who worked in the town hall. It took 15 minutes to do it, and then we both went off to work.”

FRANK CHILE AND JEFF JIN

Jin never thought he would get married because the concept of same-sex marriage being legalized didn’t seem to be a possibility when he met Chile in 1997. After they moved in together, their relationship was a “permanent thing,” and felt “like a marriage.”

In 2007, the couple had a civil union.

“We didn’t want to wait that long, but we had to because they didn’t pass the law until then,” Chile recounted.

“We viewed it as the next step in our relationship,” Jin said. “We were so well bonded. In retrospect, civil unions are ‘marriage light,’ and that’s what it was. But we wanted the most current and highest form of legal recognition that we could have at the time.”

They had a ceremony in the Voorhees town hall officiated by the deputy mayor.

“He was honored to do it because his brother is gay, and he saw this as a step forward, “ Jin said.

In 2013, Chile and Jin were married, but in Delaware.

“We weren’t in a rush to go out of state to do this, but when the federal government issued a statement that all marriages would be recognized on a legal level, no matter what state they were performed in, that prompted us to get married,” Jin explained.

Ironically, in the time between applying for the license and having the ceremony, New Jersey legalized marriage equality, but on Sept. 25, with a dozen friends and family in Wilmington City Hall, they officially tied the knot.

“It was funny. For the first time, I was a little nervous. Maybe because it was marriage. When I was in my 20s, a decade before I met Jeff, I never thought we’d have marriage equality. I got very emotional during the ceremony. It hit me all at once,” Chile recalled.

The couple, however, continues to celebrate their anniversary on April 17, the day of their first date, the date they had all because of an ad Chile placed in PGN. n

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

The tale of the purple vending box

By Don Pignolet PGN Office Manager PGN’s vending boxes originally were my idea. I saw an alternative paper called the Drummer using them and thought that if they could, why not us? Besides, while we gave out complimentary copies of the first issues, mostly in the bars, they wanted no part of selling it. Mark Segal found oldstyle, being-phased-out machines from the Bulletin. We got five at a time (what would fit in my truck) and had them painted at Earl (“We can paint any car for $69!”)

Shibe auto painting, where he knew a manager. We had to pick a color from what they had on hand and chose “Fresh Plumb.” No one else had it and it just seemed so gay.

PIGNOLET IN FRONT OF THE PGN OFFICES

After they were painted, I brought them up to my place in Bucks County, as we didn’t have our building in the city yet.

My father, a mechanical wizard, took apart a coin mechanism and figured out how it worked and how to get it to work for 50 cents, what we were charging for the paper.

After the mechs were set, I brought them back to Philadelphia and placed them on street corners around the then-gay neighborhood Rittenhouse Square. We kept getting groups of five until we had maybe 30.

We didn’t know what to expect. However, they were received well and surprisingly were quite successful. But that’s not to say that there wasn’t vandalism. Spray paint was probably the worst problem then, and I learned I could brush-paint them and they almost looked as good as spray-painted ones.

When Earl Shibe phased out the color

we were using, we got the remainder of their inventory, probably 30 gallons. It lasted for maybe 10 years.

We continued to add more boxes as various newspapers went out of business.

We managed to acquire their inventory.

Perhaps the largest single acquisition was from the Philadelphia Journal. We bought 100 boxes and sold 50 to the then-just beginning Atlantic City Weekly for more than we paid. I rebuilt and painted the remainder. By the mid-’80s, we had over 100 of them and placed them all over Center City.

Vandalism and homophobic attacks continued all this time. Some boxes disappeared. Religious propaganda was probably the most difficult to clean up. I found homemade bombs in some. Others were set on fire. We found the contents of cat litter boxes, garbage, battery acid (it actually dissolved the face of the quarters), street people used them as closets.

A slogan I cleaned off repeatedly was “GAY=Got AIDS Yet.” Of course, thousands of “fag” or “faggot.” Some of it was obscene. At this time, I was delivering all of the papers and carried an emergency tool and cleaning kit with me. I tried to keep them cleaned weekly. When Mark made political enemies, the boxes were usually targeted. It was my work to clean it up. I seldom found money, never drugs or guns, occasionally porn or drug paraphernalia and lots and lots of trash. They don’t call this “Philthydelphia” for nothing.

Twice I was harassed by the police. I was attacked by homeless people. Lots of homophobic slogans were hurled at me. I had my toolbox stolen from the back of the van, only to find it five minutes later in the store where I was delivering papers; the thief was trying to sell it to the storekeeper. I identified it by the trademark purple paint on the tools and took it back.

I guess the funniest was when people tried to pick me up.

I dug the boxes out of the snow. Rescued them from construction sites. I had one in front of the Meridian Plaza building when they had the towering inferno fire. I also had one inside of the DCA Club when they had the fire in 1980. It survived! I had fights with people who didn’t want them there. And had perhaps a half-dozen boxes hit by cars over the years.

I guess it’s been my life’s work over the years. It’s what I’m most proud of at PGN. A lot of it has been thankless and uncomfortable. Delivering papers in the cold, heavy rain was the absolute worst. I would sing aloud, “I’m singing in the rain, and it is such a pain, I’m cold and I’m wet and unhappy again,” not caring if anyone heard me. The hardest part was just finding toilets.

I guess if I leave a legacy, this is it. n

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Meet a local AIDS patient: what statistics don’t tell *Editor’s Note: In reviewing the PGN archives in preparation for our 40th anniversary, we were struck by this account of what life was like for gay men dying of AIDS in 1983. The writer, Stanley Ward, and photographer, Harry Eberlin, have both since passed, so in lieu of sharing their thoughts on the groundbreaking story, we decided to bring the story itself to our modern readers. We hope you find it as powerfully moving as we did.

April 15, 1983

By Stanley Ward Unlike the other doors we passed, this one was tightly closed. Signs warned of precautionary procedures to be followed by staff as well as visitors, and a special notice proclaimed “BioHazard.” Before entering, we had to put masks over our faces and rubber gloves on our hands.

“Graduate Hospital treats it as a mildly contagious disease,” explained psychologist Dr. Leon Bacchues. “The mask and gloves are mainly to protect the patient from further infection.”

Inside the room, a 29-year-old man, his head slightly raised on the hospital bed, extended a hand.

I held it gently, afraid of disturbing the tubes in his nostrils and arm. Still young, still attractive, he was almost smiling. “I’m Steve,” he said. As photographer Harry Eberlin shook his hand, I noticed the large number of flowers — including an exotic bird of paradise from Hawaii — that adorned the room. A phone was by the bed.

When I looked again at Steve, I suddenly realized that I had seen him before — at some party, in some club, with some friend. But I couldn’t bring into focus the time and place. “It’s impossible,” I argued with myself. “You can’t have met him before. You’ve been lucky. None of your friends have contracted AIDS. It happens only to strangers.”

A Slowly Closing Gate In October of last year, Steve McPartland went to his dentist with bleeding gums. Both sides of his mouth were drained, but the infection persisted. At the same time, he experienced nausea after eating and an overall feeling of weakness. Diagnosed as a gastrointestinal patient, he was admitted for tests to Graduate Hospital,

where he was employed in respiratory therapy.

One doctor recognized the syndrome, and Steve learned that he was suffering from AIDS. Within a week, he had lost 30 pounds.

During the six weeks of his initial stay in the hospital, Steve experienced the first of three narrow escapes from death. A catheter inserted into his chest accidentally punctured a lung.

In late December, he was released from the hospital but returned in January with symptoms of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS).

After receiving expert treatment at a cancer clinic in New York, he developed a cyst on his buttocks.

Immediate surgery saved his left leg. Steve was released from the hospital again, but a week later he was back for his second brush with death. Another cyst, this time in his chest, threatened life itself.

In March, with only a mild case of bronchitis, Steve was allowed to visit Florida, with the hope his condition would improve in the warmer climate. His trip was interrupted when he began to feel worse, and he took the next plane back to Philadelphia. He has been a patient at Graduate Hospital since that time, suffering from herpes in the lungs, pneuomocystis carinii pneuomonia (PCP) and a constant chalky white film in his mouth and esophagus. He can’t taste food and still has problems with nausea.

Steve’s third brush with death occurred recently, when his temperature rose to 106 degrees. His entire body went into convulsions from the shock. “I saw a big flashing gate that was slowly swinging shut,” he recalled. “I knew that if I didn’t open my eyes before it closed, I wasn’t ever going to open them again.”

The Boy in the Bubble How did it happen? When did it really begin? Official answers to these questions are at present impossible, but Steve offered his personal theory.

In 1979, Steve cut himself while dissecting a cadaver for the Cape May pathologist with whom he was then working. A severe case of hepatitis followed, and Steve hasn’t felt totally well since then.

He dates the beginning of his fight with AIDS from that incident. Occasional trips to New York baths, mostly during the summers, may have weakened his already-lowered resistance.

Theory or fact, this explanation is important to Steve and his family. At least it helps alleviate the sense of random victimization that so often plagues the AIDS patient and constantly raises the question, “Why me?” But no explanation can alleviate the suffering, psychological as well as physical, that AIDS invariably brings.

Steve has been told that he will

“They fool themselves with the blind assumption, ‘It won’t happen to me.’” never be able to return to his job in respiratory therapy because of the repeated exposure to various infectious agents. Although involved in a relationship last summer, he must now reject the possibility of commitment. “I wouldn’t put any lover through this.” He has to refrain from sexual contact for the protection of himself, as well as others.

“I’m always in a daze,” Steve commented about his present condition. “It’s as if I were not here but somewhere in Bolivia. I lose my memory and repeat myself at times. It becomes very annoying.”

To the degree that he has occasional releases from hospital confinement, Steve is more fortunate than some. But this apparent advantage also takes its emotional toll. “Even when I’m out,” he said.

“I keep waiting for the symptoms that will force me to return. Since I’m a health-care professional, I’m very aware of my body, of any signs of weakness. And each time I come back to the hospital, it gets a little worse. Since I know there’s no cure, the whole thing is very scary.”

On his leaves from the hospital, Steve enjoys a limited social life.

“I don’t hide what I have. I tell the truth to people. It wouldn’t be fair to them if I didn’t.” Whenever he has to appear in a public place, he is therefore “nervous and on edge,” uncertain of how people will react.

Fortunately, Steve’s family and friends have remained loyal and supportive. “I know it’s getting harder on my parents,” he said, “but they clearly show their love.

My brother comes to see me every day.” The many flowers are a testament to the loyalty of friends, who also call and visit on a steady

basis. When Steve is at home, they help him with household chores and shopping, as well as lift his spirits with companionship. “My only hope has been my friends and family,” he said. “If it weren’t for them, I would never have made it this far.”

A few people, Steve added, have backed away. “They just can’t accept what’s happened, and they feel utterly helpless. But this rejection bothers me a lot, even if intellectually I understand it.”

In spite of this support, however, Steve knows that ultimately he must fight the battle with AIDS alone. “I’m a strong person. I will never give up. But sometimes the body is just too weak. It has a will of its own.”

In the hospital, Steve sees his family and friends only behind the face masks that are necessary for his protection. Since his immune system is so low, he is susceptible to infectious agents that, to the average person, are totally harmless.

“I feel like the little boy in the bubble,” Steve explained. “I’m safe only when I’m by myself. But nothing is worse than being all alone.”

“It won’t happen to me” Steve declined a request to speak at the AIDS benefit sponsored by the DCA. “At that time,” he recalled, “I didn’t want to talk about it in public. I felt self-conscious, as if I would be on exhibit.

Now I’ve changed my mind. I’m willing to help in any way I can.”

Steve’s perspective is unique. A health-care professional, an AIDS patient, an obviously intelligent and articulate spokesman, he also understands the social and psychological problems faced by gay males.

“Gay people don’t understand what they’re facing,” he began.

“They need to be confronted by an AIDS patient who is sitting right there to answer their questions and talk about his personal experience. Medical reports and statistics don’t convey the reality of AIDS.” Too many gay men, Steve feels, still treat the disease as a joke. “‘Kiss my friend and give him AIDS. I’m tired of him anyway.’ This type of comment not only undercuts the seriousness of the problem, but also insults the patient and his friends. Yet I’ve heard it made.”

Most people, Steve believes, are

also unaware of the financial burden an AIDS patient must face.

Loss of employment, limited sick leave and the long wait for disability payments often make it difficult for the patient to meet basic expenses, such as food and rent. “When I applied for food stamps,” he recalled, “I was turned down because my yearly salary was above the limit.”

Fortunately, Steve’s coworkers at Graduate Hospital signed a petition to extend his sick leave until disability payments took over.

“Without their kindness,” he said, “I don’t know how I would have paid my bills.”

Attitudinal problems may also exist in the AIDS patient, Steve pointed out. “Too many of them try to hide their condition as long as they can. They’re afraid to come forward because of the stigma attached to the disease. Some even continue an active sex life, with the attitude, ‘If I got it, someone else should get it too.’ But it’s not a case of crabs or syphilis. You’re talking about somebody’s life.”

But the most serious problem from Steve’s perspective is gay people who view AIDS as an isolated, rather than community, issue. “If neither they nor any of their friends have it, they just don’t take it seriously. They fool themselves with the blind assumption, ‘It won’t happen to me.’”

Heroic Laughter Steve’s mother and father were waiting to see him. Since the number of visitors at any one time is restricted, they could not come in until Dr. Bacchues, Harry and I had left. As Harry focused his camera, Steve threw an arm above his head and gave an exaggerated grimace of pain. “Let them see how bad it is,” he laughed, his face too bright and alive to be associated with any disease. When he returned to a normal position, Harry snapped the pictures.

Throughout Steve’s account, I had listened in stunned silence, interrupting with only an occasional question. I was thankful for the mask — at least it hid a trembling lip. But when the laughter and the smile lit Steve’s face, I felt a sudden rush of awe and affection.

Then I remembered where I had seen Steve before. Over a year ago, we had talked together in a local club, for almost an hour, while he was waiting for a friend.

On our way to the elevator, we

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

met Steve’s parents. “How is my son?” an older man asked, shaking my hand.

A tight throat choked the answer I wanted to make: “Beautiful.

Beautiful and brave.”

The Double Stigma On the way to Jefferson Hospital, Dr. Bacchues explained the support group of which he is in charge. Part of the AIDS Task Force headed by Dr. Nicholas Ifft, the group currently consists of three persons — Bacchues, a psychiatrist and a social worker.

At present, the group works with eight AIDS patients, three of whom are hospitalized. The youngest of the eight is 23 years old. Since participation is voluntary on the patient’s part, this does not represent the total number of AIDS cases in Philadelphia.

“Our purpose,” Bacchues explained, “is to maintain communication with the AIDS patient, supply him with whatever information we can and just to talk.

Not all of them have the support network provided by Steve’s family and friends.”

Other patients, he added, push away lovers and friends when they realize they are dying. “They think it won’t hurt so much if the separation comes while they’re still living.”

Bacchues’ ultimate goal is to establish a support group like the Buddy System in New York.

Volunteers help the patients when they are at home and visit them in the hospital. “The number of AIDS patients in Philadelphia is growing,” Bacchues said. “There are already more than three people could adequately handle. The problems are that no one is paid for his or her time, and for many people the idea is simply too depressing or threatening.”

In addition to the problems outlined by Steve, Dr. Bacchues pointed out that in some cases, the hospital staff simply don’t know how to react to a gay male. “There may be traces of homophobia in their attitude toward the patient — or they may be afraid of catching the disease.”

“Which disease?” I wondered aloud. “AIDS or homosexuality?”

Dr. Bacchues smiled. “That’s a good question. I’m not sure I have the answer.”

A Quiet Despair The door to Bill’s room in Jefferson Hospital was open. As we put on the gown and gloves required of all visitors, I looked

at the sleeping patient. He was young (31), and even beneath the criss-crossed tubes running from his face and limbs, it was obvious that he was classically handsome.

When we entered the room, I immediately noticed the photograph of two men proudly hanging on the wall — Bill and his lover of six years. Surrounding the picture were get-well cards from friends and relatives.

In December of last year, Bill was diagnosed as an AIDS patient and admitted to a suburban hospital with an unexplained paralysis of the left side of his body. Frightened by the disease, the anesthesiologist refused to put him to sleep for the required biopsy of brain tissue. Bill was then transferred to Jefferson Hospital in Center City.

The biopsy revealed that he was suffering from progressive multifocal leukoencaphalopathy (PML), a rare brain disease for which there is no known treatment. PML is yet another opportunistic infection resulting from AIDS. When his condition temporarily improved, Bill was allowed to go home for Christmas. He was readmitted shortly thereafter.

About three weeks ago, Bill totally lost the ability to speak.

His sight and hearing are also seriously impaired. There was no way to communicate with him except through touch. Dr. Bacchues makes his presence known by squeezing Bill’s hand.

There’s no hope for improvement,” Bacchues said. “He’ll remain in this condition until he dies.”

I was shocked by his words.

The vital beauty of the smiling young man in the photograph denied their truth. Then my eyes returned to the patient asleep in the bed. With a quiet despair, I knew that Dr. Bacchues was right.

*Author’s Note: A friend who read this article in manuscript form was concerned that some readers may view it as a sensationalized or exploitative treatment. Similar charges could be leveled against the accompanying photographs by Harry Eberlin. Our purpose is not to exploit the tragedy of AIDS patients, but rather to communicate the reality of their situation — a reality that, as Steve pointed out, is not apparent in medical analyses or statistical reports. We hope that we have achieved that goal.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Moments in HIV/AIDS History • On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control issues a warning about pneumocystis carinii, a rare form of pneumonia, after five gay men in Los Angeles contract the disease.

• PGN’s first story regarding HIV/AIDS runs in the July 10-23, 1981, issue under the headline “The latest gay disease: Cancer.”

• In the fall of 1981, the newly formed Philadelphia Physicians for Human Rights meets with the Philadelphia Health Department about the growing disease impacting gay men.

• In 1982, Dr. John Hanrahan of the Centers for Disease Control’s Task Force on Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections travels to Philadelphia to interview two men for a study on the new “gay cancer.”

• The term Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is used publicly for the first time on July 27, 1982, during a community meeting in Washington, D.C. • New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean issues a proclamation Jan. 3, 1983, declaring February AIDS Awareness Month, the first such proclamation issued in the nation.

• In 1983, the Food and Drug Administration issues a blanket ban on blood donation by men who have had sex with men.

• Philadelphia appoints its first Coordinator for Issues Relating to AIDS, Muriel Bell, in the spring of 1983.

• Philadelphia hosts its first large-scale AIDS symposium at the Adams Mark Hotel in June 1983. About 300 people participate.

• The AIDS Task Force of Philadelphia is formed in 1983.

• In a September 1983 proclamation, Philadelphia Mayor Bill Green recognizes the city’s first AIDS Awareness Month.

• The first International AIDS Conference is held in Atlanta in April 1985.

• On March 24, 1986, Mayor W. Wilson Goode issues a ban on AIDS discrimination throughout Philadelphia government.

• On June 11, 1986, the Centers for Disease Control reports 21,521 cases of AIDS nationwide, with 11,713 deaths.

• On April 1, 1987, President Ronald Reagan delivers a speech at the College of Physicians in Philadelphia in which he calls AIDS “public-health enemy number-one” and urges youth to remain abstinent.

• ACT Up Philadelphia holds its first demonstration Sept. 13, 1987, outside the Liberty Bell to call for increased local funding for AIDS. • The Pennsylvania Department of Health establishes an AIDS Unit in September 1988.

• David Acosta and other local activists start Our Living Legacy in 1988 at Painted Bride Art Festival to showcase AIDSrelated work.

• Philadelphia hosts a portion of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt from May 11-14, 1989, at the Philadelphia Armory.

More than 7,000 came to see the quilt.

• Eighteen-year-old Ryan White dies of AIDS in Indiana on April 8, 1990. Congress went on to pass legislation in his name that continues to fund the largest amount of HIV/AIDS services in the nation.

• About 75 members of ACT UP Philly interrupt Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey’s inauguration on Jan. 15, 1991, to call for enhanced attention to AIDS issues.

• On July 27, 1992, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell formally authorizes a needle-exchange program that had been operating underground.

• The groundbreaking HIV/ AIDS film “Philadelphia” is released Dec. 22, 1993.

• The World Health Organization

reports the millionth case of AIDS worldwide Dec. 31, 1994.

• In June 1995, the FDA approves the first protease inhibitor for antiretroviral treatment.

• In December 1995, the Rite Aid corporation agrees not to release HIV-prescription information to patient employers in Pennsylvania after a local lawsuit.

• The largest-ever clinical trial for a therapeutic AIDS vaccine begins March 18, 1996, at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia.

• UNAIDS reports 30-million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS in 1997.

• The United Nations General Assembly creates the Global Fund in June 2001 to combat the spread of HIV throughout the globe.

• In November 2002, the FDA approves the first rapid HIV test.

• President George w. Bush creates the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in January 2003 to support AIDS-relief efforts worldwide.

• A 2008 national study finds Philadelphians are being infected with HIV at a rate five times the national average.

• After 22 years, the ban on HIV-positive individuals entering the United States is lifted in January 2010.

• A September 2010 report from the CDC finds that about 70 percent of men who have sex with men in Philadelphia are unaware of their HIV status.

• The FDA approves pre-exposure prophylaxis in July 2012 as a new means of HIV prevention. n

*In 1986 and 1987, PGN periodically published reports on local and state AIDS cases. Recent data estimates about 20,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Philadelphia.

April 1986 August 1986 December 1986 March 1987 April 1987 September 1987 November 1987 December 1987 0 300 AIDS cases in Philadelphia

600 900 1200 1500 AIDS cases in Pennsylvania

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Community organizations expand, evolve 1991 The COLOURS Organization is founded by Michael Hinson to address the needs of LGBT people of color.

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com PGN has undergone many changes in its 40 years, but has always remained committed to being a community-focused publication. The local LGBT community — which itself has undergone innumerable evolutions in the last four decades — is largely driven by the many organizations that offer information and resources, bring us together for community-building events and advocate for our rights.

Here are some history highlights of the LGBT and HIV/ AIDS organizations serving our community today.

1976 Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Philadelphia, founded in 1974, receives nonprofit status from the state and leases its first home at 326 Kater St. 1979 LGBT health facility Lavender Health Project is founded.

1981 A group of gay men sing Christmas carols in local bars as the first performance of Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus.

The Lavender Health Project becomes incorporated as the Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives.

Men of All Colors Together, the local chapter of the National Association of Black and White Men Together, holds its first meeting.

The Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia officially becomes the first East Coast church in the denomination to own its own building, at 1706 Fairmount Ave. 1984 The Masterbatters, a league of predominantly gay softball players, adopts the name City of Brotherly Love Softball League.

1985 BEBASHI: Transition to Hope is founded as an HIV/AIDS service organization focusing on low-income people of color.

Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Philadelphia changes its name to Penguin Place.

A syringe-exchange program begins through an underground, grassroots operation called Prevention Point Philadelphia.

1986 Several-dozen HIV/AIDS advocates launch ActionAIDS to provide care services for people with the disease.

Philadelphia Attorneys for Human Rights forms as a professional association for LGBT legal professionals.

1987 Mother Teresa’s Missionary Brothers of Charity creates Calcutta House to provide housing and other services for people living with HIV/AIDS. 1988 David W. Webber forms AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania to address cases of AIDS-related discrimination.

The second chapter of ACT UP is created in Philadelphia to mobilize activists in support of the HIV/AIDS community.

1989 Two years after the first Philadelphia AIDS Walk, organizers launch AIDS Fund to head up the event and raise money for regional HIV/AIDS causes.

David Acosta founds GALAEI to address the needs of Latino sexual minorities.

1990 Seven members of the First Presbyterian Church begin delivering meals to people living with HIV/AIDS under the auspices of Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance.

AIDS specialist Dr. John Turner forms Philadelphia FIGHT, a volunteer-driven HIV/AIDS research organization, in a tiny office at Graduate Hospital.

1993 The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund is founded through a partnership with The Philadelphia Foundation to promote philanthropy and grantmaking for LGBT causes.

While pursuing her doctoral degree, Carrie Jacobs and a master’s student from the University of Pennsylvania collaborate to form an after-school pilot program for LGBT youth, The Attic Youth Center, in the attic of youth shelter Voyage House.

1994 To leverage LGBT power in the Democratic Party, a group of local LGBT activists forms the Liberty City Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club.

The Youth-Health Empowerment Project forms as a pilot project to reduce the spread of HIV and STDs among young adults.

1995 Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives launches the Mazzoni Clinic, an HIVtesting site named after Dr. Peter Mazzoni, an early volunteer and board member.

1996 Attorney Andrew Park opens the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights to provide legal assistance to LGBT people and advocate for LGBT rights.

Penguin Place buys 1315 Spruce St. and changes its name to William Way Community Center.

1997 With funding provided from the estate of activist and former board president Jonathan Lax, FIGHT opens the Jonathan Lax Treatment Center, one of the first facilities in Philadelphia to provide HIV primary care regardless of patients’ ability to pay.

2000 The Attic becomes incorporated as a nonprofit and receives an anonymous gift to purchase its own building.

2003 After several years of renovations, The Attic moves into 255 S. 16th St.

pices of Equality Advocates.

Prevention Point Philadelphia becomes an official partner on GALAEI’s Trans-Health Information Project.

2010 After the LGBT Senior Summit, local seniors and supporters form the LGBT Elder Initiative to provide services and advocacy for the aging LGBT community.

Equality Advocates Pennsylvania rebrands itself as Equality Pennsylvania, an umbrella group

Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives is renamed Mazzoni Center.

GALAEI creates the Trans-Health Information Project, by and for the trans community, offering advocacy and resources.

to include an education fund and political action committee.

2004 Philadelphia Black Gay Pride, in existence as an event since 1999, is incorporated as an organization and expands programming to year-round.

2011 LGBT and ally college students launch Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, the first statewide LGBT-youth agency run by youth in the nation.

2005 Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, Tom Brennan, Peter Hiler and Kevin Wilson open the doors of Philly AIDS Thrift to sell donated items and raise funds for HIV/AIDS organizations.

2014 Philadelphia AIDS Thrift announces it will take over the defunct Giovanni’s Room, the longest-running LGBT bookstore in the nation, and reopen it as Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room, a retail outpost to raise funds for HIV/AIDS causes.

The Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights changes its name to Equality Advocates.

2006 MANNA expands its outreach beyond HIV/AIDS clients to include people with other critical illnesses like cancer, cardiac disease and diabetes.

After more than 40 years in operation, LGBT-affirming congregation Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia changes its name to Whosoever Metropolitan Community Church.

2007 The Independence Business Alliance becomes the Philadelphia region’s firstever LGBT chamber of commerce.

2015 The Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition changes its name to Pennsylvania Youth Congress and refocuses its mission on advancing state-level public policy.

2009 Mazzoni Center opens a legal-services department, previously under the aus-

Mazzoni Center announces it has inked a contract to consolidate its locations, move and considerably expand its operations by 2017. n

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A C ul t ure Stories from the PGN trenches 40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Wow! Nine years. This is the longest I have ever worked in the same place.

I’m not going to say anything cliché like “there’s never a dull moment here at PGN” because we have plenty of dull moments to go around. But there are also a lot of awesome and memorable moments sprinkled throughout those nine years, and the staff at PGN is one of the greatest bunch of people one could ever work with.

I have a sea of memorable moments I’ve conjured up recently — as I waded through nine years of back issues, I found myself saying, “Oh, right. I did talk to that individual” — but then there are some articles and experiences that will always stick out in my mind. What follows are just a few.

Most memorable interviews It’s always interesting to talk to iconic celebrities but since we’re not a massive newspaper or a widely watched media outlet, we’re not always on most celebrity go-to lists when it comes to interviews.

That being said, we’ve managed to land some impressive interviews since I’ve been here.

Whenever I talk to r e a l l y famous people, I always prepare myself for the worst

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because they are usually really busy and in the middle of doing a lot of interviews.

So I just naturally expect them to diva out, or have an attitude, or be bored with this

tal because she worked her ass off just like I remember distinctly thinking to myself any of us to do what she did. And she was during this interview, Thank goodness a riot to talk to.

Genesis is British. When you explain When it came to Bebe Neuwirth — a an idea, no matter how out there, with a main character on two of the big- British accent, it sounds way more plausigest and longest-running sitcoms ble and legit than, say, if you were explainof all time and a Broadway star to ing it with a Southern accent. boot — I naturally expected her Anyway, the story took a tragic turn to be the ice-queen Lilith was on when, a week later, Lady Jaye suddenly “Cheers” and “Frasier,” but she died at their home shortly before the was one of the coolest and nicest tour was to launch. Surprisingly enough, people you would ever want to Genesis was up for a follow-up interview hold a conversation with. a month later, and then much later when a Hands down, one of the most documentary about the couple was making memorable interviews I did was the festival rounds. with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge of Even with all the tragedy and loss he Psychic TV, an influential and pio- was dealing with, Genesis had the most JOAN RIVERS neering industrial electronic band. positive outlook on life and the road forPsychic TV was coming to town to ward that I don’t think I would have been part of the endless press junket they are on do a show so I interviewed Genesis about, able to have in that situation. that day. But most of the time that isn’t the among other things, the subject of “panI think I won an award for that article, case and instead it’s usually the people in drogyny.” You see, Genesis and his part- too. the middle of the celebrity food chain who ner, bandmate and muse Lady Jaye were have been not so fun to talk to. (See the each getting plastic surgery so they could Yeah … OK, I think we’re done next section for a better explanation.) look like I was each other.

S o , p l e a s a n t l y To drive that back to the s u r p r i s e d point home, bad interwhen comedy Genesis sent views … legend Joan us someI n Rivers was so what graphic essence, my down to earth post-op phojob is to interand hum- tos of his view artists, ble about her breast-augperformers comedy-icon m e n t a t i o n and the like status the two s u r g e r y and have times I got to instead of enough intelStage and television star interview her. band press ligent questo perform in Philadelphia Being a huge photos. The tions prepared fan of comedy idea was in order to (1) and a come- they would New documentary highlights musicians’ exploration of love and gender make them dian myself, I e v e n t u a l l y believe I have of course was achieve their a respectable bowing and goal of each amount of scraping at being both knowledge her feet — her g e n d e r s about what being a com- s i m u l t a n e it is they do edy legend ously and and (2) make for the better they would them feel GENESIS BREYER P-ORRIDGE comfortable part of four each have decades — both male enough to run BEBE NEUWIRTH but she was and female genitalia (whenever science their mouths about whatever it is they having none got around to making such a body modifi- are promoting and any other scintillating of it. She didn’t want to be put on a pedes- cation possible). information (and, uh …

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 18-24, 2012

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By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

Bebe Neuwirth’s impact on the stage and on television is undeniable: The award-winning actor and dancer has left her mark on iconic TV roles on “Cheers” and “Frasier” as well as blockbuster Broadway stage productions “Chicago,” “A Chorus Line” and “The Addams Family.”

Fans of her work are about to witness an upclose and personal side of Neuwirth when she takes the stage for her first-ever solo appearance in Philadelphia, May 23 at the Prince Music Theater. Backed by a piano player, Neuwirth will perform songs by Stephen Sondheim, Edith Piaf, Tom Waits, Irving Berlin and Kander & Ebb. Neuwirth spoke to PGN about her remarkable and multifaceted career and what it’s like to perform without the usual large cast of characters surrounding her.

PGN: When you’re accustomed to being part of a big production, whether on TV or on stage, is it less pressure for you as a performer to do these more-intimate cabaret shows?

BN: It’s very different from being in a show with a bunch of other people and a costume and a story to tell. It’s a very different performance experience.

It’s a different pressure. I don’t know if it’s more or less. It’s just two of us on the stage. That’s kind of strange and I am used to dancing in a group or being with a lot of people so it feels very different.

I don’t want to say it’s more pressure because I’ll

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get nervous. It’s just different.

PGN: When selecting the songs, do you like to stay closer to a repertoire that your fans would expect from you or do you like to surprise them with songs they aren’t expecting?

BN: Well, I don’t know what the fans expect. So I find the best thing to do is, with my music partner, Scott Cady, create the show that we are interested in doing and feel that we want to do. Our show is called “Stories with Piano #3.” Almost all the songs are story songs. It’s really what is right for the show and like I said I don’t know what people are expecting. I can’t second-guess them.

PGN: Who are some of your favorite singers and/ or songwriters?

BN: Songwriters are Kurt Weill, Tom Waits, John Kander and Fred Ebb. And I do a lot of their songs. I used to do symphony shows that were just Kurt Weill and Kander and Ebb. In this piano show, we’ve incorporated a lot of their songs.

Personally I listen to rock ’n’ roll. But to perform, I love to perform Weill, Kander and Ebb and Waits.

PGN: Do you think the influence of rock music is growing in the world of theater?

BN: I think it’s always been there. There’s always been at least one show every season for as long as I remember that has something from popular music. Like “Smokey Joe’s” or “Jersey Boys,” there’s always something that comes from that world. Not so much from the music that I listen to. I listen to classic rock ’n’ roll.

LADY JAYE (LEFT) AND GENESIS P-ORRIDGE

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

The unconventional love story of musician Genesis P-Orridge and his band mate, artistic partner and muse is hitting the big screen in the form of the documentary “The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye.”

Over the last 30 years, Genesis has been one of the most innovative figures in postpunk, industrial and electronic music, having founded influential groups such as Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV. In the 1990s, Genesis married fellow Psychic TV member Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge and together the two explored their ideas of gender, which they named “pandrogyny” or the Pandrogyne project, the concept of both sexes merging into one as the next step in human evolu-

tion. To that end, both underwent a series of surgical procedures to look like each other, which included breast implants and cosmetic surgery.

“As far as we knew, we came up with pandrogyny by thinking about positive androgyny as an alternative to hermaphroditic because hermaphroditic has the baggage of biological strangeness or even freakishness,” Genesis said about the origins of the concept. “We wanted it to be very positive. ‘Pan,’ which is also a sort of pagan word also means drowning. There a lot of connotations that we felt were appropriate. Drowning in each other. We thought that we had come up with it together in the late 1990s, but just recently we were looking through a diary from 1984 and in one of the essays to myself, we’d used the word pandrogyny and I have no recollec-

tion of that at all. So the word had slipped into my unconscious long before the project began. The actual development of it as a concept and exploration was still completely new for both of us.”

Shortly before Psychic TV was to embark on a tour in October 2007, Lady Jaye collapsed and died at home in the arms of Genesis from a previously undiagnosed heart condition connected with her long-term battle with stomach cancer.

“The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye,” directed by Marie Losier, is a complex portrait of two lives that pushed the boundaries of love and art. It is being screened in independent movie theaters and film festivals all over the world.

Genesis said the international acclaim that the film has garnered so far was a surprise to him.

“We assumed it was going to be an independent movie that’s a home movie but longer than normal and only people that knew about it would find it interesting,” he said. “But it has turned out not to be the case. This film was in a festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There were 500 different films in the festival. There was a special prize, the public prize, where all the people who go to all the films vote for their favorite and our film won. So that’s somewhere where they know nothing about us and they don’t speak the same language.

But they loved it. That’s one of the most shocking things for us, how much it is touching people who don’t have any idea who we are. But they are intrigued by the trailer and it seems like a film that arrived at the right time in the right place with ay

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TRENCHES from page 73

dirt) we might want to know about.

I’d say 99.9 percent of the time I hold up my end of the journalistic bargain and 99.9 percent of the time, the people I interview do the same. That being said, there is nothing more disappointing when an inter-

view I’m really excited about and prepared for goes down the tubes hard and fast. That happened with rapper/R&B singer Kelis.

In 2010, Kelis and Robyn were doing a co-headlining tour that was coming through town. Her latest album, “Flesh Tone,” was really good and a sonic departure from previous albums. Needless to say, I was amped to do a phone interview with her and write up a huge feature article in advance of her show at the Trocadero.

So Kelis gets on the phone and quickly things go south. Like I said, my job is to give pitch questions to make someone talk about their new product or project. Kelis kept giving me the shortest, curtest, drab and sometimes condescending answers to even the most self-serving of questions (that is, when she wasn’t breaking off in the middle of questions to give orders or hand off her kid to her personal assistant). It wasn’t like I was asking invasive or personal questions about her personal life. I was just asking about her new album and the tour. But for whatever reason, the entire exchange was somewhat tense and unpleasant.

Anyway, the feature-length cover story I had in mind quickly became a very short article. I still have a great mouth of respect for Kelis’ body of work but I’m not in any hurry to have another conversation with her.

Then another time I actually canceled an interview before it even happened.

In 2010, Gloria Gaynor and The Village People were teaming up for a show in the area and we landed an interview with Gaynor, an enduring diva and icon of the

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

disco era. A few days before the interview, her publicist emailed me asking me to refrain from asking Gaynor any questions about the LGBT community or gay marriage.

Really? Really?!

My reply was something along the lines of: “This is a gay publication.

If Miss Gaynor has no interest in being asked questions about the LGBT community, then we have no interest in interviewing her. Good day.”

Y o u don’t have to be LGBT or even supportive of LGBT issues for us to want to talk to you, but if you have a significant LGBT fan base and don’t have the courage to say what you believe one way or another to your audience, I’m not about to waste my time looking like a bad journalist by not asking you the important questions.

It’s not my fault!

I’m still kicking myself for letting a chance to interview Lady Gaga slip through my fingers.

Damn! Damn! Damn!

OK, you have to understand, on any

given month, different PR companies send us at least a dozen CDs by new artists. Most of them are new pop divas in training looking for exposure and (at least for the straight ones) some street cred with the LGBT audience.

So, sometime in 2008, I get an advance CD by a new artist named Lady Gaga. It had “Let’s Dance” and “Paparazzi” on it. I took a listen. I thought it was pretty good.

But at the time, Gaga was not being promoted as an out artist. She was just another pop artist.

So, when offered a chance to interview her, we passed because there was no obvious LGBT angle to her story.

I probably could have pushed harder but our editor at the time really wanted a tangible LGBT angle for any artists or performers in the paper. And, now here’s how stupid I was: Christina Aguilera was huge at the time and I thought there was no way an artist so similar to her style and fashion sense would make a huge impact.

Fast forward to the following year: “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” are dance hits and Gaga is coming through town for a show at the Electric Factory.

We can’t get an interview or tickets, not out of spite, it’s just that the buzz around her was huge.

By the time “Paparazzi” blows up, I’m thinking, Oops, I really messed that one up!

Hindsight is 20/20.

Yeah, I said it! What?

I pretty much maintain a solid line of professionalism when I do interviews, mainly because when you are talking to people in the arts and entertainment field, you want to keep them comfortable and chatting up a storm. And usually I set aside whatever feelings I have about whatever project the interviewee is promoting (super positive or negative) for the sake of impar-

tiality.

A couple times, though, I have let opinions or statements fly that I probably should have kept to myself.

In 2012, I interviewed Adam Shankman, the director of the musical film “Rock of Ages.” I’m a huge music geek. I can talk a good game about a number of different genres of music, but when it comes to ’80s music and hair metal, I will wear your ass out talking about every nook and cranny about those genres. In preparation for the interview, I went to an advanced screening of the film.

I was fully capable of doing the interview without injecting any of my opinions of the film. But Shankman made the mistake of asking me what I thought of the movie.

“Oh, I hated it,” I said.

I’m pretty sure he was taken aback but that’s what you get when you disrespect one of my top-five favorite genres of music with a crappy musical.

So we then spent the next five minutes having a heated discussion where I pretty much told him that I thought his vision of the era, as well as the characters, didn’t feel the least bit authentic and he portrayed that era as a goof. He insisted he was around in that scene during that era and that the movie was faithful to those times.

We agreed to disagree, but I feel vindicated that the movie was a commercial disappointment. n

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Matmos comes clean with new album

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com

Matmos formed in the mid-1990s in San Francisco but is currently based in Baltimore, a move Daniel said they Matmos is taking its new music for a made to accommodate his other career as an English professor. spin, literally.

The electronic music and conceptual “I finished my Ph.D. and I went art duo, which consists of gay cou- on the job market,” he said. “I was ple M.C. (Martin) Schmidt and Drew lucky enough to score a job at [Johns] Daniel, recently released “Ultimate Hopkins. The academic job search is Care II,” which was made using and pretty grim and brutal, generally speakmanipulating the sounds generated by ing. There aren’t many tenure-track the Whirlpool washing machine in the positions. When I was lucky enough to get one, that was it. Martin and I took basement of their home.

When we talked to them, they were a chance on Baltimore and it turns out in a van with said washing machine, we really love it. There’s an amazing dragging it across the country for their bumper crop of cool bands and weirdo people to hang out with and be friends live shows.

“It’s weird to be in a van with a with there, so it worked out real well.” washing machine at its center,” Daniel Matmos also works with Björk, said. “There are no guitars, just a wash- having appeared on a number of the ing machine and some electronics. So singer-songwriter’s recent albums and I don’t know if we look like a band tours. on tour or like itinerant plumbers. We “We self-released our first two made the album entirely out of that albums and there were 10 copies that washing machine and we’re going on went to London,” Daniel said. “[Björk] tour, so why not bring the actual star of bought one of them and really liked it. She’s an incredibly omnivorous listener and knows so much about music. She still turns me on to all kinds of stuff.

She’s still finding all this crazy shit that I’ve never heard of and I’ve learned a lot from her.”

As if he doesn’t have enough projects going, Daniel also has a side project, The Soft Pink Truth, which focuses more on danceable electronica.

“It’s a pretty major Photo: Josh Sisk difference,” he said the show? It’s a bit fanatical maybe but about how The Soft Pink Truth compares to Matmos. “Matmos is about that’s our style.”

“Ultimate Care II” is presented as Martin and myself finding a place one continuous album that isn’t broken where our aesthetics overlap where we meet. Soft Pink Truth is about me up into individual tracks.

Matmos did make videos for individ- being very self-indulgent and creating ual songs but Daniel said those were a certain persona. There’s something vey obnoxious about Soft Pink Truth. I made somewhat out of practicality.

“It was important to us that the album think maybe it’s overcompensation for be a continuous experience because the fact that most of my life is scholthat’s what doing the machine is like,” arly and quietly reading 400-year-old Daniel said. “But part of videos when books. When it’s time to make The Soft they are released before the album is to Pink Truth, I try to tap into my ‘go-go create a certain suspense about what the dancer in gay bars’ past. It’s that mindtotal picture is going to be. There’s also set of staying up all night in a club and the reality that the labor-intensive ani- hearing ridiculous music.” n mation and editing involved in creating the videos would be pretty onerous to Matmos brings its washing machine saddle one of our friends with making to Philly for a performance conversaan entire 38-minute video. Martin has, tion with Heather Love 7 p.m. April 13 however, made a video for the entire at International House Philadelphia, performance, so when we do it live, 3701 Chestnut St. For more information there’s a special video that he made that or tickets, call 215-387-5125 or visit is a continuous 38-minute expression.” http://vague-terrain.com/.

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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Suzi Nash

Mark Segal: Making his own road to LGBT equality At 5-foot-7 with a slightly high-pitched voice, Mark Segal may not look like it, but the guy is a badass.

As a longtime contributor to PGN, I knew about some of his escapades but it wasn’t until I read his book, “And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality,” that I realized how much of a rabble-rouser he has been. There are too many stories to fit into this story, so I’d suggest getting a copy for yourself. For our 40th-anniversary edition, I sat down with Segal at the PGN office.

PGN: Are you originally from Philadelphia?

MS: Yes, 25th and Ritner. We lived in a housing project, across the tracks (and an expressway) from the middle-class neighborhoods.

PGN: Tell me about the family.

MS: I have a brother and two parents who believed you should love your children unconditionally and tell them that they’re the best things since sliced bread and encourage them in every way, shape and form. They taught me that I could be anything I wanted, as long as I was doing good. My dad did many things, including working as a salesman and a taxi driver.

PGN: I read that you drove a taxi too. Ever get the urge to make some extra cash with Uber?

MS: [Laughs] No, I’m past those days, at least I hope I am.

PGN: Something your mother taught you?

MS: Mom was the type that wanted her kids to be successful and to her that didn’t mean you had to make a lot of money, just that you had a happy life and family. And you got bonus points if you did things for others.

PGN: Your family didn’t talk about it, but how did having family members who were Holocaust survivors affect you?

MS: My grandparents made it to this country but some of their brothers and sisters did not and we lost all contact with their families … or so we were told.

I was really uncomfortable even saying that for the longest time. What I discovered when I wrote about it was that a lot of people wrote and said that their parents said the same thing. We had to do our own research. I was lucky enough to know that some of the family was killed in Odessa, which is in the Ukraine. We associate Nazis with Germany, so who knew they were from other countries too? I went to what remained of the Jewish neighborhood there and tried to trace as much as I could but there wasn’t much left. They tend to not keep good records when slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people.

Something I’m just beginning to realize is that, with all the sadness we might have had in the family — fighting for civil rights, fighting for women’s rights, dealing with anti-Semitism — my grandmother and my parents always gave me a sense of joy. When I began fighting for LGBT equality, there was a sense of joy in it. I felt I was following in the family footsteps.

PGN: Tell me about your grandmother.

MS: Fannie Weinstein. She was my Auntie Mame. She took me to my first civil-rights demonstration when I was 13. We marched around City Hall.

PGN: I read that your first “official” act of civil disobedience came in grade school when you refused to sing “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Did you object to the Christian part or the war part?

MS: I don’t quite know. I just knew the song wasn’t right for me. I learned discrimination at an early age. I was told every day in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t Christian and my parents were pacifists to the umpteenth degree, so I refused to sing it. I got into trouble and my mother had to come and get me.

PGN: Did you go on to higher learning?

MS: No, though there’s a great belief that I went to Temple. I even had a former university president at my house for an event, Mr. Liacouras, and he berated me for not being part of the alumni association. I tried to explain that I hung out at Temple but didn’t graduate from there, but he wouldn’t listen!

tion being clergy or people in power who advocate against the LGBT community who are themselves gay. But aside from that, it’s a personal issue and we should be more understanding. There are reasons some people can’t come out; it’s dangerous in some families or neighborhoods.

Sometimes it really is a matter of life and death. There are countries where being gay actually carries a death sentence. We should be working on helping people come out safely and in their own time.

PGN: Tell me a little about your early activism.

MS: I moved to New York May 10, 1969.

That date is blazed into my mind because I had it written on a calendar in my bedroom, circled with stars around it. At that point, I was essentially in the closet; my parents didn’t know I was gay. So I couldn’t wait to escape to New York to go be with “my people.” I didn’t know there were gay people in Philadelphia! I got to New York May 10 and tried to find where the gay people were. I eventually stumbled onto Christopher Street, which was the main drag with a lot of gay clubs and businesses around it. At 18, a typical night became just hanging out on Christopher Street, popping into clubs here and there, so that’s what I did. One of the clubs I

PGN: What was your first realization of what homosexuality was … and that you were?

MS: I knew at a young age that guys were supposed to go out with girls and that it didn’t feel right for me. I pretended that it was, but I knew it wasn’t. I just knew. I find it surprising that a lot of people don’t figure it out until later.

PGN: I knew as far back as I can remember; in kindergarten I was playing house with two mommies!

MS: Right? We just know! And then we’re forced into the closet at such an early age; you don’t just decide to go in, you’re forced in because of the things you hear.

You might hear your parents talking about “those” kind of people, or friends making jokes about “those” people, and you realize that you might be one of “those” people and if you talk about it they might not be too happy with you. So we put ourselves in a closet to protect ourselves, which is why it’s a real brave thing when someone decides to burst that door open and come out. It’s very personal. I’ve never been an advocate for outing people, the excep-

popped into was the Stonewall Inn. It was very casual. One night I was in the back of the bar near the dance area and the lights flashed on. I didn’t know what that meant but everyone very calmly said, “Oh there’s going to be a raid.” I was frightened because I’d never experienced a raid before in my life. The police came in and started carding individuals and harassing the queens and I guess they were trying to extort money from the guys in suits and

ties who looked like they had money. I looked like the kid next door so they had no use for me whatsoever and I was one of the first to be carded and let out. Being the curious type, I stood across the street and watched as things developed. I’d met a guy named Marty Robinson who was starting the Gay Action Group and he walked up and asked me what was happening.

I’d joined the group and I tried to act cool and casual as I told him it was a raid but I was nervous as hell. He disappeared and came back with chalk. Marty’s known in the gay-rights struggle — quite honestly, he should be better known — but he gave us all chalk and said, “Write ‘Tomorrow Night, Stonewall’ everywhere you can.”

That’s how we created Future Knights of Stonewall, which eventually led to the Gay Liberation Front. The Gay Liberation Front was one of the most important gay organizations that existed. We decided to define ourselves rather than letting society define us, which is important because before that there were gay groups that actually debated whether or not we were mentally ill! We started out with the premise that we weren’t. The second thing we did was decide we needed to find a way to have our own community and stop the bar raids and people being arrested and harassed, so we put out legal and medical alerts, took on churches and synagogues, started confronting mass media, created the first youth organization, the first trans organization and the first gay community center, all in the first year! Then, along with Craig Rodwell, we organized the first gay Pride parade, but back then we called it a march.

PGN: Pretty impressive indeed.

MS: Think about it, in 1925 the gay-rights movement was started by a man in Chicago named Henry Gerber. It goes through various disruptions like the Compton’s cafeteria riot in San Francisco, the Dewey’s sit-ins in Philadelphia or the marches outside of Independence Hall, but not a single one had more than 100 people participate. Ever. The Gay Liberation Front’s gay Pride march? 15,000 people! That’s why it was probably the most important year we’ve seen thus far. It redefined us and created a gay community. GLF was an organization that supported a variety of causes outside of our own — civil rights, trans rights — and we collaborated with everyone from the Black Panthers to communists. We actually PAGE 90

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com A next-door neighbor and somewhat of a little brother to the immensely popular Sampan, the newly opened Double Knot, 120 S. 13th St., is quickly becoming the talk of the town. And we can see why.

Accessible from the street or through Sampan, the upstairs coffee bar serves Double Knot proprietary-blend coffee. The downstairs restaurant is another world in itself, with an amazingly dim and mysterious steampunk-meets-pirate aesthetic that you have to see to believe.

The menu only shares one dish with Sampan’s menu, its amazing edamame dumplings. The rest eschews Asian fusion for a Japanese-inspired menu.

The small plates had a lot of great flavors and textures. The tuna rice cracker ($8) was satisfyingly crunchy and bold.

Both the Japanese cucumber ($4) and the hearts of palm salad ($10) were refreshingly simple but effective dishes. The albacore tataki ($8) was bright and cool.

The tofu ($6) was nicely fried with a sweet glaze punctuated by an assertive Mizzuna pesto. The gyoza ($7) was pleasantly different, arriving as a sizable pancake of dumplings instead of individual pieces.

The robatayaki (various meats and vegetables grilled on skewers) had some standout dishes. The scallop ($5), Kobe beef ($5) and short rib ($4) were excellent, with the latter two being perfectly seasoned and juicy pieces of carnivore heaven. More

adventurous proteins like chicken gizzard, chicken heart and pork jowl are also available.

Double Knot also makes great bao buns with the smoky pastrami ($7) and the sweet and succulent duck scrapple ($7).

Then there’s the sushi. The Double Knotbig eye tuna roll ($12) is one of the best traditional rolls in town — both a feast for the eyes and the palette. The side dishes are great too, especially the bacon yakisoba ($7). The sushi pieces are made with warm rice and brushed with ponzu, giving the dish a lovely silky feel.

Desserts have a nice flare as well. The tangerine tart was perfectly sweet and creamy and the pear cake was pure and warm comfort-food bliss.

If we ever get rich, we want our house or apartment to look just like Double Knot. Actually, it would be a lot easier to move into the restaurant, but for now we’ll have to make due with dining there more often. n

If you go Double Knot 120 S. 13th St. 215-631-3868 www.doubleknotphilly.com Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 7 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sat.-Sun.: 9 a.m.-11 p.m.

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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The Raven Lounge: something to crow about

Photo: Scott A.Drake

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com “Once upon a midnight dreary … ” Midnight is anything but dreary at The Raven Lounge, the Center City Edgar Allan Poe-themed bar, lounge and performance space.

The spot is rolling out some new adult beverages for spring, giving bar hoppers yet another reason to visit this fun and interesting watering hole.

Kevin Ehret, a bartending alum of many a Gayborhood bar, has put together an impressive menu of new drinks that will appeal to a broad range of tastes.

For the traditional cocktail enthusiasts, there’s the Jim Beam Black Manhattan, the most grown-up of the new cocktails with bold but smooth flavors. For something a bit more summery, the Blue Collins is a citrus-infused gin cocktail. The Jay Pop, a concoction of Jameson, peach Schnapps and ginger ale, is a nice middle-ground cocktail — conservative-looking enough for traditionalists and just bright and light enough to appeal to those with more-adventurous palettes. For a party in a glass, try the champagne and Pop Rocks, a flute of champagne spiked with an entire pack of the fizzy candy, giving the drink a sugary jolt and fruity overtone.

The Raven Lounge is a magnet for comedians, musicians and other performers looking for a place to see and be seen — and the bar’s drink menu does a great job of reinforcing that vibe. n

If you go The Raven Lounge 1718 Sansom St. 215-840-3577 www.theravenlounge.com

Hours: Mon.-Thurs.: 5 p.m.-2a.m.

Fri.: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

Sat.: 7 p.m.-2 a.m.

Sun.: Closed

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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Gender fluidity focus of Cinedelphia film Out writer/director/star Yony Leyser’s audacious Englishlanguage comedy-drama, “Desire Will Set You Free,” features LGBTQ young adults in contemporary Berlin.

The film, which will screen as part of the Cinedelphia Film Festival at 9:30 p.m. April 14, concerns Ezra (Leyser), a gay Israeli-Palestinian writer who falls for Sasha (Tim Fabian Hoffmann), a Russian male prostitute. But Sasha, who is thinking about becoming a woman, is not really into the relationship. Meanwhile, Ezra’s friend Catharine (Chloe Griffin) is off being non-monogamous, much to the chagrin of her girlfriend, Jayne (Amber Benson).

“Desire Will Set You Free” shifts between realism and surrealism as the characters attend parties and punk concerts and have sex. The film’s anarchic spirit — Catharine’s interest in Nazism, which is meant to be “shocking” — compensates for the film’s amateurish feel. (At times, Leyser seems unsure where to place the camera.) But the depiction of gender-fluid youth comes across, even as Sasha’s cute colleague, Alexandru (Anton Andreew), talks about being gay for pay.

“Desire Will Set You Free” also features cameos by legendary German gay filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim (as Ezra’s agent) and punk performer Nina Hagen. n The Cinedelphia Film Festival takes place at the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art, 531 N. 12th St. For more information, visit www.cinedelphiafilmfestival.com.

— Gary M. Kramer

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

85

Get Out and Play

Scott A. Drake

Before the City of Brotherly Love Softball League and its nearly 700 players that we know today, there was Masterbatters.

Masterbatters was a loosely formed group of men and women who managed to get enough players interested to play games against each other. They were a product of the Gay Activist Alliance in the mid-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s, early in the LGBTQ civil-rights movement. The group grew to five teams by 1984 and then rapidly expanded even more to became the CBLSL. The league recently celebrated 30 years as an organization, the proud product of these founders of gay softball in Philadelphia.

About the time the softballers started playing the field, a group of gay bowlers started hanging out in alleys, and occasionally in the gutters.

This year, the Philadelphia Gay Bowling League will hold its 28th annual Liberty Belle Classic over the Fourth of July weekend. For a time, I was on

the team from The Post Bar, where Stir is now. We bowled every Sunday afternoon in South Philadelphia, where the league recently returned.

But the softball men and women were gutsy enough to wear their tight shorts and flamboyant outfits onto the ball field in broad daylight and, quite honestly, in the 1970s, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I could have done so. (Although I would have gone and watched from the sidelines.) They played on the Parkway near the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the most part and also in other locations not quite recognizable in photographs.

But one thing is for sure: One of the first allies in the LGBTQ-rights fight threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Masterbatters game: then-Philadelphia District Attorney Ed Rendell. Pitchers and catchers playing together on the front lawn of the Art Museum?

Thanks, Masterbatters. For everyone who is playing on an LGBTQ team now, thanks for stepping up to the plate. n

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

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Theater & Arts Arts & Literature 1776: The Musical The Media Music Theatre Company presents the historical musical comedy set when our country was on the brink of declaring independence April 13-May 22, 104 E. State St., Media; 610-891-0100.

Allowed to Love Muse Gallery presents an exhibition

by Philadelphia artist Carolyn Cohen featuring a series of portraits of activists, artists and others within the LGBTQ community through April 30, 52 N. Second St.; 215627-5310.

Always ... Patsy Cline Walnut Street Theatre presents the stories of laughter and heartache that brought together a housewife and a legendary country singer through July 3 at Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550.

An American in Paris The Philadelphia Orchestra performs April 8-10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5847.

Breaking Ground: Printmaking in the U.S., 1940– 60 Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the variety of ways in which artists in the 1940s and ’50s pushed the boundaries of printmaking through July

‘$HOTS’ FIRED!: Puscifer, the experimental alternative/ art-rock group fronted by Tool and A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan, brings its tour in support of its latest album, “Money $hot,” to the area 8 p.m. April 15 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J. For more information or tickets, call 609-317-1000.

24, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215763-8100.

Freckleface Strawberry: The Musical The musical based on the children’s book about a young girl learning to love the skin she’s in, through April 16 at Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St.; 215574-3550.

Holly Trostle Brigham: Sisters and Goddesses The Michener Art Museum hosts an exhibition of works

by Philadelphiabased artist Trostle Brigham featuring seven self-portraits in which she takes the guise of artists of the past through May 26, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215340-9800.

International Pop Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition chronicling pop art’s emergence as a global movement, migrating from the

United Kingdom and the United States to Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Japan, through May 16, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Jon Lovitz The comedian from “Saturday Night Live” performs April 14-16 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

Look Closer: The Work of Michael Newman and Stuart Alter The William Way LGBT Community Center presents a special exhibition of abstract paintings through April 29, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220.

Mitch Fatel The comedian performs through April 9 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; 215-496-9001.

Neil Simon’s Rumors Bristol Riverside Theatre presents the classic farce

through April 17, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol; 215-3131575.

Philadelphia in Style: A Century of Fashion The Michener Art Museum hosts a display of approximately 30 dressed forms and additional accessories spanning a century of high fashion through June 26, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; 215340-9800.

Plays of/for a Respirateur Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an installation by Joseph Kosuth that includes a selection of his work along with a group of seminal works by Marcel Duchamp through the fall, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-7638100.

Peter and the Starcatcher Walnut Street Theatre presents the grown-up’s prequel to “Peter Pan” through May 1, 825 Walnut St.; 215-574-3550.

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

fri apr 15 • 8pm

SaT apr 30 • 8pm WATCH WHAT HAPPENS: Out TV personalities and longtime friends CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Bravo talk-show host Andy Cohen team up for an intimate evening titled “Deep Talk and Shallow Tales,” which includes a live Q&A, 8 p.m. April 9 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 250 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-790-5847.

Rain Pryor The comedian performs 8 p.m.

April 8 at The Rrazz Room at the Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.; 215-442-4580.

Music The Cult The rock band performs 8:30 p.m. April 8 at the Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St.; 215-627-1332.

The Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair The alt-rock stars perform 8 p.m.

April 8 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-3522887.

Santana The legendary rock guitarist performs 8 p.m.

April 9 at Tower Theatre, 19 S. 69th St., Upper Darby; 610-3522887.

They Might Be Giants The band performs

8 p.m. April 10 at TLA, 334 South St.; 215-922-1011.

A Tribute to The Beatles in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Revolver Local performers celebrate the Beatles’ classic album 7:30 p.m.

April 15 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; 215222-1400.

Nightlife Lydia’s Birdcage Lydia Kuntmoore hosts a drag show 9 p.m.-2 a.m. April 8 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.; 215-9649675.

The Kinsey Sicks The drag-a-pella group performs 8 p.m. April 9 at The Rrazz Room at the Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.; 215-442-4580.

Stark Naked: A Burlesque Tribute to Game of Thrones The fanta-

sy-themed burlesque show, 9 p.m. April 9 at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; 215-922-6888.

Paige Turner: Confessions Of An Unnatural Blonde New York’s comedy queen comes to town 8 p.m.

April 15 at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St.; 215-735-0735.

The Kinsey Sicks: Electile Dysfunction The drag-a-pella group performs 7:30 p.m. April 8 at The Rrazz Room, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 888596-1027.

Miss Hope Springs London’s queen

of cabaret makes her first visit to the U.S. 7:30 p.m.

April 15 at The Rrazz Room, 385 W. Bridge St., New Hope; 888-5961027.

Outta Town Frank Caliendo The comedian from “Mad TV” performs 9 p.m. April 15 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa Music Box, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.

Stop Making Sense The Talking Heads concert film is screened 9:45 p.m.

April 15 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610917-1228. n

SaT may 14 • 8pm

SaT Jun 4 • 8pm

Sun OcT 9 • 3pm

fri OcT 21 • 7:30pm

Notices Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437; or e-mail: listings@epgn.com.

Notices cannot be taken over the phone.

Thu OcT 27 • 8pm

Tickets & info: www.KeswickTheatre.com and AXS.com • 215-572-7650 Convenient to SEPTA rail & bus • FREE Parking

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

National Praise For MARK SEGAL’s Best Selling Memoir

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AND THEN I DANCED TRAVELING THE ROAD TO LGBT EQUALITY

“Mark Segal’s work for LGBT equality is historic and significant. The fact that he is still connecting our community is a testament to the passion which he shares in this memoir.”

--Billie Jean King “Mark Segal is a beloved and respected activist for the LGBT movement, and he’s a pivotal voice to tell our story,” --The Advocate “Mark Segal made national news on December 11, 1973 when he interrupted a live broadcast of the CBS Evening News by yelling ‘Gays protest CBS prejudice!’ at none other than Walter Cronkite. He was wrestled to the floor on live national television, an incident often credited as the beginning of the end of LGBTQ invisibility. In his new memoir, Segal looks back on that defining moment in history, as well as the many battles that followed.”

--Queerty “If it happened in the gay rights movement, Mark Segal was probably there.”

--ABC-TV “Mark Segal is one of the major actors in the struggle for LGBT equality in the U.S....A life as eventful as Segal’s demands that a book be written about it.”

--South Florida Gay News “Segal’s And Then I Danced harkens back to the glory days of the gay liberation era. Current activists could learn a lot of useful lessons from reading this memoir, and any American who reads it will learn about some interesting chapters in our nation’s ongoing struggle to form a more perfect union.”

--David Carter, Author of Stonewall, The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution “And Then I Danced is more than a memoir; it’s a revelation……….and that’s a huge part of why this book is so vital. Equally important is how Segal shatters mistaken beliefs about queer history. Segal really puts the movement in context for the post-Stonewall generation.”

Lambda Literary Review --Lambda “Read Mark Segal’s memoir and you’ll get the inside story of how and why he interrupted a live broadcast of The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. What happened afterward will surprise you. It’s one of many surprises in this must-read first-person account of LGBT history as it unfolded after Stonewall. Segal was a witness to that history, and he made some of it happen, changing our country and our lives for the better.”

—Louis Wiley, Jr., executive editor, Frontline (PBS)

“I have read about Segal in other places but nothing is like reading about it as he tells it....Because of Segal and others we have openly LGBT people working in the White House and throughout corporate America.

He has helped make it possible for an entire community of gay world citizens to finding the voice that they need to become visible.”

--Reviews by Amos Lassen “Segal’s writing style is engrossing and never ponderous....And Then I Danced is highly recommended for all LGBT history collections and especially for readers with interest in Pennsylvania/Philadelphia politics.”

--American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table “And Then I Danced is a fascinating page-turner that prompted my tears, laughter, envy, and astonishment--but most of all left me feeling very proud of what our community has accomplished and grateful to Mark for sharing his intimate memoir. While there are many who have witnessed the extraordinary history of the LGBT community, few have played as major a role in creating it as has Mark. It is no exaggeration to say that there is no person alive today who has been a more central participant in as much of the contemporary LGBT rights struggle than Mark Segal.”

--Sean Strub, author of Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS, and Survival “Mark Segal has for decades been a pathfinder for LGBT journalists of all stripes. We’re indebted to him for his years of radical activism, helping to foster a movement for change that has had a dramatic and positive impact for millions.”

--Michelangelo Signorile, author of It’s Not Over: Getting Beyond Tolerance, Defeating Homophobia, and Winning True Equality “Real change never comes without real guts and real vision and real leaders.

Mark Segal is the real deal.”

--Robert Moore, cofounder of Dallas Voice “Mark Segal’s ideas run from the alpha to the omega. Sometimes I think there’s got to be more than one Mark Segal: he has done way too much for one lifetime. I highly recommend this book. If you can’t get to meet Mark in person, this is the next best thing!”

--Michael Luongo, author of Gay Travels in the Muslim World “Before there was Ellen, Will, Grace, Rosie, Andy, and Anderson, Mark Segal was the squeaky gay wheel of American television, pulling stunts that forced the medium to open its closet door. If Walter Cronkite were still alive, he’d say: Not HIM again! And that’s the way it is. And was. Read all about it.”

--Bruce Vilanch, Six-Time Emmy Award Winner “Mark Segal has taken the LGBT aging world by storm, and in the process has made a remarkable difference for our community’s courageous pioneers. We’ve all learned so much from him.”

--Michael Adams, executive director, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders “With gentle humor and the slightest touch of sardonicism….Segal lets readers into his personal life: his loves, losses, and (spoiler alert!) a very happy ending. “Drama seems to follow me,” he writes, and readers will be glad for it.”

--Washington Blade

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PORTRAIT from page 75

marched with the Panthers to free Angela Davis but before that happened, a group from the GLF went to them and said, “We’re willing to march with you but are you willing to stand for us and gay rights?”

That was the kind of community building we were a part of. That spirit that GLF had is the reason this paper exists today.

PGN: What brought you back to Philly?

MS: My mother became ill.

She had kidney disease; we didn’t know but she’d always been ill. She wasn’t supposed to have kids but wanted a family — hence I’m here — but it took a toll on her and my father asked me to move home to help.

PGN: What was the trick you used to introduce the first nondiscrimination bill into City Council with the “support” of a group of priests and nuns?

MS: At the time, I was learning how media could be used to create social change. I’ve learned that passing legislation doesn’t change minds; people have to be educated and that means getting the issues before the public, into their homes and churches or synagogues or mosques. It might take time but we will always win if there’s a debate. Always. So I decided that we needed to do something to make people take notice when we got the bill introduced. Luckily for us, they were giving awards to both the Boy’s Club of America and the Northeast Catholic High School debate team that day. When legislation is introduced, they usually just read the number and the title; ours was Bill #1275: An Amendment to the Fair Practices Act. No one knew what it was so we went around the gallery asking people to join us in standing and applauding the bill to support Cesar Chavez and the lettuce workers in California. So when they introduced Bill 1275, my friend Harry Langhorne and I stood up and applauded and the Boy’s Club people and the nuns and priests also stood up and clapped. The following day the Daily News Headline was, “Gay Rights Bill Introduced; Priests and Nuns Applaud.”

PGN: Nice!

MS: That’s what taught me you have to go the next step. It’s that old line, “Dog bites man” is not news, “Man bites dog” — news.

PGN: You took a bite out of City Council when you did a takeover.

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

MS: Ha. Well, Bill 1275 got introduced and then went nowhere. The president of City Council was George X. Schwartz — he was later convicted in the Abscam scandal, and he was homophobic to the core.

He didn’t like me at all. Refused to have a hearing on the bill until his hand was forced. We had a few council members who were sympathetic and, of all people, Frank Rizzo, mostly because he didn’t like Schwartz and we used that to our advantage. City Council wouldn’t hold hearings so Rizzo got the Human Relations Commission to do it. Schwartz was left out and felt we’d gone over his head so he decided to hold a City Council hearing where he would be the chair. He wanted to draw TAXI ID as much blood as he could. [Tears up] I still get emotional about this. When it became my turn to testify, he began pelting me with rude questions. He wrapped up by shouting, “I’m trying to figure out Mr. Segal, what do you do it with?” I said, “Mr. President, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He yelled again, “What do you do it with?” I answered again, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He blurted, ”Do you do it with parakeets?” I was surprised and shocked and very hurt. I just thanked the City Council and walked out. To relegate our community to just sex is so homophobic; there’s so much more to us than just that. Thankfully, our friends at the Daily News got it and the next day they ran an editorial with a big, bold headline saying, “SHUT UP, GEORGE” with a picture of him with a cigar in his mouth. It was devastating to him.

PGN: And the takeover?

MS: Well, the bill never went any further that session and that December, when all bills die, the Gay Raiders, which is an organization I founded, decided to take over City Council. Along with the Dyketactics, which was the radical lesbian organization of its day.

PGN: That was Sharon Owens, correct?

MS: Yes, along with Sherrie Cohen and a lot of other women. In the middle of a session we took over. The president’s chair is elevated on a perch overlooking the other chairs so I went immediately for that and George ran like a scared mouse!

I sat in his chair and put my feet up on the desk and was calling for order of the new City Council when a very, very large man walked up and said, “No, you won’t,” and picked me up and carried me out. That man was the Sergeant at Arms, who we know now as Congressman Bob Brady.

We’ve been friends since that day.

PGN: Tell me more about the Gay Raiders.

MS: When I came back to Philly, I joined the Gay Activists Alliance. I said that if I was elected the political chair, I would get a gay-rights bill introduced, which no one had been able to do. But they were very formal, not radical in the slightest, and I still had GLF in my heart and running through my veins. Waiting for slow change wasn’t for me, so I created the Gay Raiders and our sole purpose was to break into the media to get society talking about our issues. We’re not considered green-eyed monsters anymore. Why? Because people got to see us, to know us. There were no faces representing us other than the marchers at Independence Hall, but that didn’t get publicity at the time. I lived here and I never saw it; that’s why I moved to New York. Nowadays I can call Channel 3, 6 or 10 and ask them about gay issues but then they wouldn’t have even returned the call. The only way to get through was to disrupt them, so we started doing what we called zaps.

They looked spontaneous but they were all calculated and planned. And hopefully humorous; even during the struggle you can still express that joy I spoke about earlier. They were also nonviolent. My parents taught that you never resorted to violence, no matter what was done to you. We did a stunt every six weeks, like chaining ourselves to the Liberty Bell. It used to be inside of Independence Hall and to get to the bell, I was chased around from room to room by cops as I jumped over ropes and crashed into walls until I could handcuff myself to the rail above the bell. The United Way was next when we found out they didn’t fund a single gay organization. I put a big bike lock around SEGAL (LEFT) WITH my neck and attached it to the door. No one could get in or out without breaking my neck and the next year they funded their first LGBT organization. We then disrupted a fundraising dinner for Nixon and I’m proud to say that he personally denounced me.

And then of course we did the TV zaps.

Starting with “Summertime at the Pier,” which was a “Bandstand”-like show out of A.C., Sage Powell and I decided to see what would happen if two guys started dancing together while the show was being broadcast live. We danced for about three minutes before security was called and we were thrown out. Sage was black and joked that it was because we were an interracial couple. We then went to ABC

where we distracted the guard and ran onto the set of a live newscast. Next we went on “The Mike Douglas Show” and chanted “Two, Four, Six, Eight: Gay is just as good as straight” until they called the police. We did several and oftentimes I was held down and wrapped with camera cables until the police arrived.

The next step was when we zapped the set of “The Today Show.” We took the NBC tour and then hid in a closet until the show came on live. We zapped “The Tonight Show” — or tried to: They literally gagged me so I couldn’t talk. And most famously, we zapped “CBS Evening News” with Walter Cronkite, which we went to trial for. The Gay Raiders were even featured in Life magazine, and Variety said that we cost the networks over $750,000. And I wasn’t getting paid for any of it, so living at home was essential and my parents supported the efforts 100 percent. I was becoming a famous gay activist and literally didn’t have 10 cents in my pocket. When I did talk shows later, I did them with holes in my shoes. If we got arrested, you had to find a friend who knew a lawyer who would do it pro bono. Gov. Milton Shapp gave me a jacket when I couldn’t afford one.

PGN: I think people would be surprised to find that a lot of the negative reactions you got were from inside the community.

MS: That was probably one of the harder parts to write about. Putting it in context again, 1925 — from the start of the gayrights movement — through 1969, only 100 people in the U.S. were willing to speak publicly on camera or on the radio about being gay. Only 100 brave souls!

They deserve every bit of credit, each and every one. I’m happy to say that Randy Wicker, the first gay man to hold a gay picket sign, is still with us. He did that in 1964 at an Army inducHARRY LANGHORNE tion center in New York. We need to celebrate people like that instead of the celebrity du jour. Wait, what was the question? Oh yes, so this goes to say that 99.9 percent of our community was in the closet from the general public. So the line we consistently heard was, “You’re going to make it bad for us.” We were disliked by our own community for stirring things up and groups like the GLF and the Gay Raiders were really disliked because we weren’t politely marching or working the “system.” Politely marching brought out 100 people, GLF brought out 15,000. By the way, my husband Jason won’t let me read the book anymore because when I get to that chapter I get very emotional.

It’s very eye-opening how scared we were

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

of society. I was lucky that I had parents who were brave enough to support me and go to the family cousins’ club and stand up for me when they heard people saying horrible things about me.

discrimination without me actually having to go to boot camp.

PGN: How did the PGN come about?

MS: In that magic year after I disrupted “CBS Evening News,” I became the most famous LGBT person in the nation and no one was more surprised by that than me. I still am fascinated by it. For about

PGN: They sacrificed for the cause as well.

MS: I wouldn’t say sacrificed because they believed in it too and were very proud of what I was doing. They never told me of what they faced at work or with family.

I only learned after they passed. In fact, at my mother’s funeral, my Uncle Ralph confronted me about something I wrote in my mother’s obituary. I CRASHING “THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW” described her as a gay activthree years, I was on every talk show, ist. He asked if it was true and I said yes in every newspaper you could imagine. and he replied, “Maybe it’s good that I was talking to my friend Jim Austin she’s gone.” If ever I were to succumb to violence, that would have been the who ran the Pittsburgh Gay News and moment. But he’s gone now. And [my he asked me if I would do a full-fledged parents] were totally supportive. We were gay newspaper in Philadelphia. I told him the first family in America to go on a talk that I didn’t have the knowledge or abilshow; we were flown out to be on “The ity and he said, “If I help you, you will.”

Phil Donahue Show.” One of my biggest I still hemmed and hawed until he said, “Mark, someday you’re going to have regrets is that I don’t have a copy of that to make a living. Why not do something show. We’ve searched high and low and Phil Donahue himself told me it was that will help build the community?”

And that sold me. I’d like to believe that gone. There was a warehouse fire and everything got burned. we’ve done that for the past 40 years.

It’s not a fun paper; we’re here to be a communication tool for the community PGN: On to something lighter, I understand Gov. Shapp almost made you a and that means including all viewpoints.

If you don’t like our take, write an edistate trooper! torial and we’ll print it. We want to have MS: Not my idea! What a great man. He was my political mentor. He deserves all viewpoints. Are there any gay Trump credit for a lot of the changes in this supporters? We want to talk to you. country. I met him after my stunning There’s not a segment of the community appearance on the “CBS Evening News.” we won’t cover.

No governor had ever met with a gay activist, ever. I thought because it was a PGN: What were some of the challenges sensitive issue that he’d make the meetyou faced early on? ing secretive but he had the press corps MS: Oh, we got death threats on a daily there and asked what he could do to basis. The honor boxes were turned help the gay-rights struggle. I told him over or firebombed. We had the building to appoint a commission to look into the spray-painted with hateful messages. We problems of LGBT people. Well, back had our electrical and plumbing torn out then we said “gays and lesbians.” That of the building. We were in an old buildled to the governor’s Council for Sexual ing that needed tarps on the inside if it Minorities, the first of its kind in the rained. Come to think of it, we must be world. He also issued an executive order slacking: I haven’t gotten a death threat banning discrimination in state hiring in over a year! The last one I got was a and shortly after had a big fight with the letter addressed to me and the person put head of the state troopers, who declared their name and address on the return secthat he would not have one of “those tion! So the police went and checked it people” on his force. The governor called out and said he wasn’t anything to worry the media and asked me to go down and about. The threat I’m most proud of was sign up. I drove down to the Belmont in Thunderbolt, which is an American Barracks and we made the evening news. supremacist Nazi paper. They put me on Fortunately, we made our point about their hit list.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

PGN: Congrats! So when did you start feeling, Wow, we’ve really created something that has impact?

MS: I think we felt that way from the beginning. Going back to George Schwartz, whose comment is never far from my mind, I didn’t want people to think of the community as just being about sex, which is how we were perceived. So the first issue had a middle-aged guy on the cover who happened to be the health commissioner of Pennsylvania, who was the highest-ranking government official to come out at that time. For issue number two, we got the governor of Pennsylvania — not the Inquirer or the Daily News, we had the first interview with him. We quickly made people realize that we were a serious newspaper, emphasis on the news.

To this day, if you want to run for office in this town, you’re going to come talk to PGN. President Obama learned that the hard way when he was running for president in ’08 and refused to do interviews with gay papers across the country. One of his last stops was in Pennsylvania and we ran a blank space on the front page where the interview would have been.

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probably did more for us than all the others combined, including allowing the City of Philadelphia to fight all the way to the Supreme Court for the domestic-partner law that he’d originally opposed. He now teaches at Temple and I spoke at his class just last week. I believe that education is the way to win people over. One of the reasons we had gay marriage in Pennsylvania a year before the Supreme Court decision was because I had a working relationship with Tom Corbett. When the Pennsylvania ruling came down, I was able to ask him not to appeal it. You have to open up dialogues. I’ve always been willing to meet with people considered adversaries. Even my early confrontations were always just designed to get people talking. I knew once we got the ball rolling, eventually equality would win.

PGN: How would you deal with a President Trump?

MS: I’d try to keep dialogue open. I have to say, out of all the people I’ve seen running for public office, he scares me the most. I honestly believe he’s a fascist.

PGN: What don’t people know about you?

MS: I’ve PGN: I learned remember that over the now! years how MS: Yes, that to get govgot his attenernment tion and we money for met soon after the comthat. He did an munity. interview that We pay September taxes, why and we’ve shouldn’t had a relasome of it tionship ever come back since. If you to us? I got look on my the first wall, you’ll $300,000 see two covers for William framed. A few Way with a years later, I Republican asked him to Congress sign a copy of that had the article we never given did and then money to I whipped an LGBT out the blank cause! I cover. He said with a smile, CELEBRATING THE HISTORIC MARKER AT raised over “Mark, you’re INDEPENDENCE HALL $20 million for the not going to make me sign that one too, are you?” and John C. Anderson building and over a I said, “Absolutely!” And he did. He’s got million for William Way. I think I’m over $30 million so far for the community in a good sense of humor. total and there’s more to come.

PGN: You’ve converted a lot of politiPGN: What’s life like now? You’re a cians from foes to friend. Who stands married man! out?

MS: Yes, to the love of my life. Jason MS: The three that come to mind would be City Councilman Thatcher Longstreth, came into my life when I was having a who used to publicly call members of our very bad time. I was down but he saw the potential in me to be as he would say, community fairies, but who I eventually “better than I already was.” I’d done a got to vote for the domestic-partners bill — against, may I add, his good friend and lot already and if I wanted to stop there it was OK as long as I was happy, but if then-arch homophobe John Street, who has now become a major supporter of this I was ready to do more, he was willing to help me. He was community. When he became mayor, he PAGE 92

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PORTRAIT from page 91

counter to everything I ever expected. I thought I wanted someone more my age, but he’s considerably younger than me. When we met, he was a swimmer on the NYU swim team — he won’t boast but he has won several championships and he used to be on the same swim team as a guy who holds several Olympic medals. He gave that up soon after we began our relationship and has become an incredible writer and producer.

For the past year, he’s been doing a fellowship at Boston University so I only see him every other weekend. We can’t wait for that to finish! He’s been an amazing influence on me. He’s made me forget the bitter times and celebrate the joy of every day. There’s nothing better than just spending quiet time at home together. It’s sublime.

PGN: What had you so down?

MS: I’d broken up a long-term relationship and was realizing how toxic it was.

PGN: It’s good that you share that; it lets people know that even you can have the same problems that others may be going through.

MS: One of the things we’ve always tried to do was address problems, good and bad. Years ago, I remember hearing about a growing problem in the community with meth and I called Nurit Shein at Mazzoni. I asked her about it and suggested that more than just doing a story on it, we do a whole campaign on the subject, with PSAs in every paper. She loved the idea and we went ahead. We got so much pushback, I was astonished. I called her and said, “Look, I’ve dealt with worse than this, but are you OK with continuing?” Happily, she said yes.

We have to face the issues in our community and the reasons why. The columns that are award-winning are the ones written from passion. The angriest chapter in my book is about AIDS. PGN: We haven’t even spoken about the epidemic and how it affected you.

MS: Let me give you one statistic. I’m proud that the man who wrote “Body Count,” the definitive book on AIDS in America, proofread that chapter before I published it. It’s the only one I wanted someone to fact check for me. I wrote that in just the United States of America, over 500,000 people have died from HIV/AIDS. He corrected that; the correct number is over 600,000. Think about that. That’s more than all the people who have died in recent conflicts. People of my generation went through a war. We got used to people saying,

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

“OK, I’m going to go commit suicide, nice knowing you.” That was common! And is anybody doing anything for post-traumatic stress? It was hell on earth and we were all scarred by it. The silence around it is stunning to me. But we rose up through it, and it taught us how to organize. We made the medical community change its methods and where did people look for information?

LGBT media. It was a war, but once we got through it, it changed us for the better.

PGN: True. Random questions. Worst clothing disaster?

MS: In the 1970s, flashy prints were all the rage. I couldn’t afford clothes so my mother decided she was going to sew. She made me this shirt that was a little bit off — one arm longer than the other — but I still wore it with pride since she made it for me. I still have it! The other “clothing” disaster was with the former spouse I mentioned.

He didn’t like the way I looked and wanted to change me. I was losing my hair so he decided I should wear a toupee; it was the most uncomfortable and hateful thing I’ve ever worn in my life. As soon as he was gone, it was gone too.

PGN: Who would you contact at a séance, outside of family?

MS: Oscar Wilde or Abraham Lincoln. No wait, Baron von Steuben.

I have a fascination with him. He was a gay man and if it wasn’t for his military expertise, there would be no United States today. Or maybe Ben Franklin, who I call the father of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” since he hired von Steuben. I love gay history.

PGN: Any hobbies?

MS: I’m a huge Sondheim buff, I love musicals. I’m also an architectural buff and I’m pretty handy with a hammer. I love doing sheet rock; I haven’t done it for years but I can do it seamlessly, which is an art. But I’m no longer allowed to do stuff around the house. Last time I was on a ladder, I shattered my heel and was in a wheelchair for 90 days. I’m also into anthropology, which is leading me to genealogy. It’s what drew me back to Odessa to see where the family was murdered.

PGN: Favorite movie line?

MS: From Auntie Mame, she says, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” It became my motto. I think I’ve done pretty well. n To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email portraits05@aol.com.

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37. Hernando’s place in “The Pajama Game” 42. Good and evil place in a Kevin Spacey movie 43. George Moscone, and others 44. SASE, e.g.

46. Holmes of “Wonder Boys” 47. First word of a “South Pacific” song 48. “Understood” to Ginsberg 49. Pull out your shooter 50. Port on Osaka Bay 51. Isle in Brando’s “Desiree” 52. “___ Misérables” 55. Way out

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

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Massage David, 66, 6’, 200 lbs., attentive. 215-569-4949. (24/7) ________________________________________40-24 Massage + GuyCarolina@aol.com Incalls - Norristown - 610-312-9519 ________________________________________40-15

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40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

ADONIS CINEMA

“THE ONLY ALL MALE ADULT THEATER IN THE CITY”

2026 Sansom St (located 3 doors up from Sansom St Gym)

215-557-9319 4 Small Theaters with Video & Dark Room Area

HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Thursday

7am-6am

(closed an hour for cleaning)

Friday- Sunday:

Open 24hrs

1976 - 2 016

Getting married?

ADMISSION: $12.00

If you are celebrating an anniversary, engagement, wedding, adoption or other life event, we would be happy to help you announce it to the community.

Send your contact information and a brief description of the event to editor@epgn.com.

WEEKLY SPECIALS:

SUNDAY RELIEF

Half Price Rooms & Lockers (6am Sunday till 8am Monday) ROOMS: Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50 LOCKERS: Members: $9.00 and Non-Members: $19.00

MONDAY thru FRIDAY: (8am to 4pm) Business Mans Locker Special 4 hour lockers Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00 TUESDAYS

Half Price Rooms (6am till 12 Midnight) Members: $12.50 and Non-Members: $22.50

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT CRUISE $12 Flat Rate for Locker Admission & Clothing Optional (4pm-12 Midnight)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON DELIGHT 4 Hour Lockers (8am - 4pm) Members: $5.00 and Non-Members: $15.00

Check out our website for our WEEKLY SPECIALS & JOIN OUR e-mail List to get the latest information on upcoming events....

www.sansomstreetgym.com

BIGGER, BETTER & MORE ENTERTAINING EVENTS...

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM

Religion/Spirituality Arch Street United Methodist Church Services 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 55 N. Broad St.; youth/adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. prayer service; 215-568-6250.

Bethlehem-Judah Ministries Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 5091 N. Dupont Hwy., Suite D, Dover, Del.; 302-750-4045.

Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator Holds services 10:45 a.m. Sundays at the Pride Center of New Jersey; 732-823-2193, mccctl.com.

Metropolitan Community Church of Philadelphia Services 1 p.m. Sundays at the University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, 3637 Chestnut St.; 215-294-2020, www.mccphiladelphia. com.

BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Church Services 10:15 a.m. at 2040 Street Road, Warrington; 215-343-0406.

Old First Reformed Church Open and affirming United Church worships at 11 a.m., summer services at 10 a.m, at 151 N. Fourth St.; 215-922-4566, www. oldfirstucc.org.

Calvary United Methodist Church Reconciling, welcoming and affirming church holds services 11 a.m.

Sundays at 801 S. 48th St.; 215-724-1702.

Penns Park United Methodist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 2394 Second Street Pike, Penns Park; 215-598-7601.

Central Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds services at 10:45 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m, at 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; 610688-0664.

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral Progressive and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays with Holy Eucharist at 3723 Chestnut St.; 215-386-0234, www. philadelphiacathedral.org.

Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church Services 11 a.m. and Spirit at Play, an arts-based Sunday school for children, 9:30 a.m. at 8812 Germantown Ave.; 215-242-9321.

Rainbow Buddhist Meditation Group Meets 5 p.m. Sundays at William Way.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

Community Bulletin Board Community centers

■ The Attic Youth Center 255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331, atticyouthcenter.org. For LGBT and questioning youth and their friends and allies. Groups meet and activities are held 4-7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 4-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Case management, HIV testing and smoking cessation are available Monday-Friday.

■ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center at the University of Pennsylvania 3907 Spruce St., 215-898-5044, center@dolphin. upenn.edu. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. MondayThursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Summer hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

■ Rainbow Room: Bucks County’s LGBTQ and Allies Youth Center Salem UCC Education Building, 181 E. Court St., Doylestown; 215-957-7981 ext.

9065, rainbowroom@ppbucks.org. Activities held 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays.

■ William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center 1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220, www.waygay.org.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays Peer counseling: 6-9 p.m.

Monday-Friday Library: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Volunteers: New Orientation, first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Church of the Crucifixion Inclusive Episcopal community holds services 10 a.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Fridays at 620 S. Eighth St.; 215-922-1128.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting worships 11 a.m., summer services 10 a.m, Sundays at 1515 Cherry St.; 215-241-7000, cpmm@ afsc.org.

Church of the Holy Trinity Inclusive church holds services 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays at 1904 Walnut St.; 215-567-1267.

Resurrection Lutheran Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays at 620 Welsh Road, Horsham; 215-646-2597.

■ ActionAIDS: 215-981-0088

Silverside Church Services 10 a.m. Sundays followed by a group discussion at 2800 Silverside Road, Wilmington, Del.; 302-478-5921, silversidechurch. org.

■ AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania: 215-587-9377

■ Equality Pennsylvania: 215731-1447; www.equalitypa.org

St. Asaph’s Church Inclusive and progressive Episcopal church holds services 8 and 10 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd; 610-664-0966, www.saintasaphs.org.

■ AIDS Law Project of Southern New Jersey: 856-933-9500 ext.

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■ Equality Forum: 215-732-3378

St. John’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) Reconciling in Christ congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 24 N. Ridge Ave., Ambler; 215-646-2451, www.stjohnsambler.org.

■ AIDS Library: 215-985-4851

Congregation Rodeph Shalom Shabbat services every Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at 615 N. Broad St. ; 215-627-6747.

Dignity Jersey Shore An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets the first Saturday of the month in Asbury Park; 732-502-0305.

Dignity Metro NJ An organization for sexual-minority Catholics meets 4 p.m. the first and third Sundays of the month at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 550 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood; 973-509-0118.

Dignity Philadelphia Holds Mass 7 p.m. Sundays at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-546-2093, dignityphila@aol.com.

Drexel Hill Baptist Church Nonjudgmental Christian congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches of the USA holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 4400 State Road, Drexel Hill; 610-259-2356, www.dhbaptist.com.

Emanuel Lutheran Church Reconciling in Christ congregation meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:30 a.m., New and Kirkpatrick streets, New Brunswick, N.J.; 732-545-2673; www.emmanuelnb.org.

Evangelicals Concerned Lesbian and gay Christian counseling; 215-860-7445.

First Baptist Church Welcoming and affirming church holds prayer services 10:30 a.m.

Sundays and community worship 11:30 a.m. at 123 S. 17th St.; 215563-3853.

First Baptist Church of Moorestown Welcoming and affirming congregation holds Bible study and discussion at 9 a.m. Sundays and worship services at 10 a.m.

Sundays at 19 W. Main St., Moorestown, N.J.; 856-235-1180; www. fbcmoorestown.org; info@fbcmoorestown.org.

First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne Welcoming church holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at 140 N. Lansdowne Ave.; 610-622-0800; www.lansdownepresbyterian-church. com.

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia A liberal, welcoming and diverse congregation that affirms the dignity of all. Sunday services at 10 a.m., 2125 Chestnut St.; 215-563-3980, www.firstuu-philly.org.

The First United Methodist Church of Germantown A sexual-minority-affirming congregation holds services at 10 a.m., summer services 11 a.m., Sundays, with lunch to follow, at 6001 Germantown Ave.; 215-438-3077, www.fumcog.org.

Grace Epiphany Church A welcoming and diverse Episcopal congregation in Mt. Airy with services 9:30 a.m. Sundays at 224 E. Gowen Ave.; 215-248-2950, www.grace-epi.org.

Holy Communion Lutheran Church ELCA Reconciling in Christ congregation worships 9 a.m. Sundays at 2111 Sansom St. and 11 a.m. at 2110 Chestnut St. in the main sanctuary; 215-567-3668, www.lc-hc.org.

Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church Sexual-minority congregation worships at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 1223 Middletown Road (Route 352), Glen Mills; 610-358-1716, www.

ImagoDeiMCC.org.

Living Water United Church of Christ An open and affirming congregation that meets for worship 11 a.m. on Sundays at 6250 Loretto Ave.; 267-388-6081, www.lwucc.org.

Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist synagogue committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community meets at Calvary Center, 801 S. 48th St.; 215764-6364, www.kol-tzedek.org.

Mainline Unitarian Church Holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon; 610-688-8332, www.mluc.org.

Maple Shade Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ Affirming congregation open to all sexual orientations and gender identities holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 45 N. Forklanding Road, Maple Shade, N.J.; 856-779-7739, mapleshadeucc.org.

St. Luke and The Epiphany Church Open and welcoming church holds fall liturgy 9 and 11 a.m.

Sundays, summer sevices 10 a.m., at 330 S. 13th St.; 215-732-1918, stlukeandtheepiphany.org.

St. Mary of Grace Parish Inclusive church in the Catholic tradition celebrates Mass 6 p.m.

Sundays in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media; 610-566-1393, www.inclusivecatholics. org.

St. Mary’s Church Diverse and inclusive Episcopal church celebrates the Eucharist 11 a.m. Sundays at 3916 Locust Walk; 215-386-3916; www. stmarysatpenn.org.

St. Paul Episcopal Church Welcoming and inclusive church holds services 9:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 89 Pinewood Drive, Levittown; 215-688-1796, www.stpaullevittown.org.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Welcoming and diverse congregation with numerous outreach and fellowship groups holds services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday at Third and Pine streets; 215-925-5968; www.stpetersphila.org.

Tabernacle United Church Open and affirming congregation holds services 10 a.m. Sundays at 3700 Chestnut St.; 215-386-4100, tabunited.org.

Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church Sunday worship with nursery care, 10:30 a.m. and fourth Thursday of the month contemporary worship with Communion at 7 p.m. at 2212 Spruce St.; 215-732-2515, trinityphiladelphia.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County Welcoming congregation holds services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 10:30 a.m., at 145 W. Rose Tree Road, Media.

Interweave, a group for LGBT parishioners and allies, meets 12:30 p.m. the third Sunday of the month and holds a potluck brunch 12:30 p.m. the first Sunday of the month; 610-566-4853. www.uucdc.org.

Unitarian Society of Germantown Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 6511 Lincoln Drive; 215-844-1157, www.usguu.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Cherry Hill Services 10:15 a.m. Interweave, a group of LGBT Unitarians and their allies, meets at 401 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill, N.J.; 856-6673618, uucch.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration Welcoming congregation holds services 11 a.m. Sundays at 6900 Stenton Ave.; 215-247-2561, www.uurestoration.us.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation, South Jersey Shore Services 10 a.m. Sundays in Galloway Township; 609-965-9400, www. uucsjs.org.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown Services 10:30 a.m. at 1565 S. Keim St.; 610-327-2662, www. uupottstown.org.

United Christian Church Open, affirming and welcoming congregation holds services 10:15 a.m. Sundays, summer services 9:15 a.m., at 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown; 215-946-6800.

Unity Fellowship Church of Philadelphia Diverse, affirming LGBT congregation holds services 2 p.m. Sundays at 55 N. Broad St.; 215-240-6106.

University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation Welcoming congregation holds services 10:30 a.m. Sundays at 3637 Chestnut St. preceded by “Adult Forum: Sundays” at 9:30 a.m.; 215387-2885, www.uniphila.org.

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■ ACLU of Pennsylvania: 215592-1513 ■ AIDS Treatment Fact line: 800662-6080 ■ Barbara Gittings Gay and Lesbian Collection at the Independence Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library: 215-685-1633 n The COLOURS Organization Inc.: 215-496-0330

Key numbers

■ LGBT Peer Counseling Services: 215-732-TALK ■ Mazzoni Center: 215-563-0652; Legal Services: 215-563-0657, 866-LGBT-LAW; Family & Community Medicine: 215-563-0658 ■ Office of LGBT Affairs — Director Nellie Fitzpatrick: 215-6860330; helen.fitzpatrick@phila.gov

■ Philadelphia Police Department liaison — Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel: 215-6863318 ■ Philadelphia Police Liaison Committee: 215-760-3686 (Rick Lombardo); ppd.lgbt@gmail.com ■ Philly Pride Presents: 215875-9288 ■ SPARC — Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition: 717-9209537 ■ Transgender Health Action Coalition: 215-732-1207 (staffed 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 6-9 p.m.

Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays)

■ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Philadelphia): 215-572-1833 ■ Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations: 215-686-4670

Health

Anonymous, free, confidential HIV testing Spanish/English counselors offer testing 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, 216 W. Somerset St.; 215-763-8870.

ActionAIDS Provides a range of programs for people affected by HIV/ AIDS, including case management, prevention, testing and education services at 1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088, www. actionaids.org.

GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization Free, anonymous HIV testing from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1207 Chestnut St., fifth floor; noon-6 p.m.

Tuesdays at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St.; 215-851-1822 or 866-222-3871, www.galaei.org.

Spanish/English HIV treatment Free HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment for Philadelphia residents are available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays (walk-in) and 5-8 p.m. Thursdays (by appointment) at Health Center No. 2, 1720 S. Broad St.; 215685-1821.

HIV health insurance help Access to free medications and confidential HIV testing 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays at 13 S. MacDade Blvd., Suite

■ Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia Board meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at 100 S. Broad St., Suite 1810; free referral service at 215-6279090, www.galloplaw.org.

■ Independence Business Alliance Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, providing networking, business development, marketing, educational and advocacy opportunities for LGBT and LGBT-friendly busi-

108, Collingdale; Medical Office Building, 722 Church Lane, Yeadon; and 630 S. 60th St.; 610-586-9077.

Mazzoni Center LGBTQ counseling and behavioral health services, HIV/ AIDS care and services, case management and support groups; 21 S. 12th St., eighth floor; 215-563-0652, www. mazzonicenter.org.

Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine Comprehensive primary health care, preventive health services, gynecology, sexual-health services and chronic-disease management, including comprehensive HIV care, as well as youth drop-in (ages 14-24) 5-7p.m. Wednesdays; 809 Locust St.; 215-563-0658.

Philadelphia FIGHT Comprehensive AIDS service organization providing primary care, consumer education, advocacy and research on potential treatments and vaccines; 1233 Locust St.; 215985-4448; www.fight.org.

Washington West Project of Mazzoni Center Free, rapid HIV testing. Walk-ins welcome 9 a.m.-9 pm.

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday; 1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206.

Professional groups nesses and professionals; 215557-0190, www.IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com.

■ National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Philadelphia chapter of NLGJA, open to professionals and students, meets for social and networking events; www.nlgja.org/ philly; philly@nlgja.org.

■ Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus Regional organization dedicated to promoting LGBT tourism to the Greater Philadelphia region, meetings every other month on the fourth Thursday (January, March, May, July, September and the third Thursday in November), open to the public; 215-8402039, www.philadelphiagaytourism.com.

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com Apr. 8-14, 2016

40 YEARS OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM