pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 40 No. 17 Apr. 22-28, 2016
Family Portrait: ZsuZsi Apati makes painting eco-friendly PAGE 47
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM CDs that rock the spring
• Voyeur seeks lawsuit dismissal • Knott appeal date passed
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Election Spotlight: State House and U.S. Congress By PGN Staff In our last installment of primary interviews, PGN reached out to candidates in the contested state House race for the 182nd District, which covers the Gayborhood, as well as in contested Congressional races. Below are the responses candidates gave on their LGBT positions and plans.
State House (182nd Dist.) Brian Sims
Judge denies motive to violate ethics code By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com In a recent legal filing, Municipal Court Judge Dawn A. Segal, an open lesbian, denied that she had any motive to fix cases on behalf of a corrupt judge. Segal stands accused of attempting to curry favor with then-Municipal Court Judge Josephs C. Waters by doing his
bidding on three cases pending before her. Segal isn’t charged with any criminal wrongdoing. But her multiple conversations with Waters in 2011-12 allegedly violated the state’s ethics code for judges. As a result, she’s been suspended without pay since Feb. 2 and faces the possibility of additional discipline. State officials conPAGE 24
Kenney enacts travel ban to North Carolina, Mississippi Mayor Jim Kenney has enacted a travel ban on non-essential travel to North Carolina and Mississippi in the wake of anti-LGBT laws in those states. Philadelphia will consider waiving the ban, according to the mayor’s office, when municipalities take a stand against discrimination, like Raleigh-Durham did in the case of North Carolina’s law that prohibits local LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. Kenney joined a coalition this month called Mayors Against Discrimination, which also includes mayors from San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Portland, Oakland, Honolulu, Santa Fe, Tampa and
Washington, D.C. The mayors participated in an April 15 meeting to discuss goals. The coalition stated its members are “joined in barring official travel to states with discriminatory laws.” It added it would work to prohibit contracting and purchasing from companies in those states. Kenney’s office said the mayor would work with the city Office of LGBT Affairs and the Procurement Department to examine potential prohibitions. Philadelphia currently has no active contracts with North Carolina or Mississippi, according to a preliminary review of city contracting by staff. “I’m proud to count myself among the PAGE 25 coalition of mayors tak-
PGN: How would you strengthen LGBT hate-crime reporting and what can be done to combat violence against LGBT people? BS: Following the brutal hate crime that occurred right here in Center City in 2014, I held the largest and most comprehen-
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PGN: What can be done to combat antiLGBT bullying in public schools? BS: I know firsthand what it is like to be the subject of discrimination. Although we’ve made great strides in advancing issues of LGBT equality, the most vulnerable among us — youth — still lack even the most basic protections from harassment and discrimination. That is why I’ve worked with a Republican colleague of mine to co-sponsor HB 156, The Pennsylvania Safe Schools Act, which seeks to add LGBT discrimination to the requirements for reporting bullying in all schools in the commonPAGE 22
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Endorsements President: Hillary Clinton U.S. Senate: Katie McGinty Congress: Dwight Evans (Second Dist.) Mary Ellen Balchunis (Seventh Dist.) Steve Santarsiero (Eighth Dist.) PA Attorney General: Josh Shapiro PA Treasurer: Joe Torsella
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PLAY BALL! Longtime City of Brotherly Love Softball League players Mike Valerio (from left), Jeff Chase and Brandi Fitzgerald threw out the first pitches to kick off the league’s season April 17. Valerio and Chase were inducted last year into North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance’s Hall of Fame, and Fitzgerald was named to Amateur Sports Alliance of North America’s Hall of Fame. The opening ceremonies and games were followed by the league’s annual block party in the Gayborhood. Photo: Scott A. Drake
PGN: Do you support the Pennsylvania Fairness Act and what would you do to advance it? BS: In addition to being a co-sponsor of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, I have also been serving as the primary whip of the bill with my friend and colleague Dan Frankel, as well as my colleagues across the aisle. While we have made great strides in equality in recent years, it remains unconscionable that members of the LGBT community can be fired from their jobs, kicked out of their homes and denied service as public establishments simply for being LGBT. Advocates and I continue to explore different procedural measures to move the bill as well. I will continue to work with my colleagues including those across the aisle to see this legislation finally become law.
sive rally for and hearings on LGBTinclusive hate-crimes legislation. We heard from police officers, legal scholars, community leaders and even Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams and City Council President Darrell Clarke. Following these events, we saw the hate-crimes bill move successfully out of the House Judiciary Committee, only to have Republican leaders fail to allow the bill to receive a full vote. I continue to work with leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties to make sure this bill receives a vote. We must pass this legislation in order to ensure protection for members of the LGBT community and give the same protection to our community as other communities have had for years.
PA House of Representatives: Michael O’Brien (175th Dist.) W. Curtis Thomas (181st Dist.) Brian Sims (182nd Dist.) Movita Johnson-Harrell (190th Dist.) Pamela Delissio (194th Dist.) Donna Bullock (195th Dist.) Christopher Rabb (200th Dist.) Mark Cohen (202nd Dist.) See editorial, page 11 for endorsement explanations
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