Long before we told people to meet us at the eagle, there was “Wanamaker’s Pursuit.”
Family Portrait: Bobby Kelly
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PFLAG Philadelphia will host the North Atlantic Regional Conference later this PAGE 17 month. April 15-21, 2011
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Vol. 35 No. 15
Transman sues NJ company for firing A New Jersey drug-treatment center terminated the employment of El’Jai Devoureau, a transgender man, last summer after learning he was born a woman. Devoureau is now suing the company in the first legal challenge ever that questions if a transgender person is qualified for a gender-specific job. By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer A New Jersey transgender man last week filed an employment discrimination lawsuit that challenges the inclusion of trans workers in gender-specific jobs, a suit considered to be the first of its kind. The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, on behalf of plaintiff El’Jai Devoureau, filed suit April 8 with the Superior Court of New Jersey against the Camden-based Urban Treatment Associates LLC. The agency hired Devoureau in June 2010 as a urine monitor for men, a position that required him to oversee that men reporting to the drug-treatment center were providing their own, and not falsified, urine samples. The job description required that a male hold the position and, upon learning that Devoureau was born female, the agency terminated him. N ew J e r s ey ’s Law Against Discrimination prevents employment discrimination based on gender identity. M i c h a e l Silverman, executive director of the EL’JAI DEVOUREAU TLDEF, said the issues this case addresses have never been raised in an employment-discrimination lawsuit before. “This is the first case like this, so it’s very unique,” he said. “There are a limited number of positions out there for which there are legitimate sex qualifications. And then there’s the question of whether a transgender person satisfies those sex qualifications, and that’s a question no court has ever answered.” The suit notes that Devoureau, 39, is “legally, medically and PAGE 16
PRIDE PREVIEW: In advance of the 12th annual Philadelphia Black Gay Pride (April 24-May 1), about 40 supporters gathered April 7 at Tabu Lounge, including Nu’Rodney Prad (from left), Derrick Gibbs, Marcus Barnes, Aaron Huff and Jonathan Ruberte. Visit www.phillyblackpride.org for more information. Photo: Scott A. Drake
PA Senate considers nondiscrimination bill By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com State Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.) last week introduced a bill that would ban LGBT discrimination at the state level. Farnese’s SB 910 would amend the state Human Relations Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, PAGE 23
ACLU warns suburban district on LGBT filtering ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Mayor Nutter was one of a slew of politicos who packed into the second floor of Woody’s April 11 for Liberty City Democratic Club’s candidate meet-and-greet and fundraiser. More than 50 people, including incumbent City Councilmembers Blondell Reynolds-Brown and Bill Green and at-Large candidates Andy Toy and Sherrie Cohen, who is an open lesbian, attended. All four First District Council hopefuls — Joe Grace, Jeff Hornstein, Mark Squilla and Vern Anastasio, one of whom will represent the area encompassing the Gayborhood — turned out, as did openly gay judicial candidates Chris Mallios and Bob Tuerk, running respectively for Court of Common Pleas and Traffic Court. The event was Liberty City’s last before the LGBT political group voted on its slate of endorsed candidates April 14. Photo: Scott A. Drake
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer The Downingtown Area School District was put on notice last week about its policy of preventing students from accessing LGBT web content. The national and Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union issued a letter to the district on Monday demanding it lift its ban on LGBT PAGE 23
Police: Person of interest in Blahnik case By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
Monday marked the six-month anniversary of the murder of local transwoman Stacey Blahnik, and police this week announced a possible break in the case. In an interview with PGN Tuesday,
Homicide Capt. James Clark said police have identified a person of interest in Blahnik’s murder. More details about the individual could not be made public, but Clark said an arrest is within sight. “As of lately, we have developed a person of interest and we’re continuing down that path right now to hopefully make an
arrest in the near future,” Clark said. Blahnik, the house mother of House of Blahnik, was strangled with a pillowcase in her South Philadelphia home Oct. 11. There was no sign of forced entry. Clark said that two detectives were assigned to the case but that, as in most murder cases, the squad PAGE 19