Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 33 No. 18
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
May 1 - 7, 2009
Former COLOURS director indicted
Foes try to ‘boggle down’ nondiscrimination bill By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Lawmakers opposed to a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Pennsylvania’s nondiscrimination law have turned out in full force to attempt to thwart the bill. As of April 28, a group of 26 legislators — 13 Republicans and 13 Democrats — have introduced a combined 48 amendments to HB 300, which is currently awaiting approval by the House Appropriations Committee. The Judiciary Committee approved the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Dan Frankel (D-23rd Dist.) March 5, in a vote of 12-11 the following week. Philadelphia City Councilwoman-at-Large Blondell Reynolds Brown (D) introduced a resolution April 30 co-sponsored by Councilman Frank DiCiccio (D-1st Dist.) that seeks to voice the council’s support for HB 300. The resolution notes that Pennsylvania is currently the only Northeastern state without an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination law and urges
the House to pass the legislation. Jake Kaskey, outreach and policy coordinator at Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, said the bill is not expected to come up for a vote in the Appropriations Committee until at least June, once proponents are sure they have enough votes to move it forward. Johnna Pro, spokesperson for Rep. Dwight Evans (D-203rd Dist.), chair of the Appropriations Committee, said the body will not need to vote on the amendments before it decides whether to send the bill to the House floor. Of the 35 committeemembers, 16, including Evans, are cosponsors of HB 300, which would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as classes protected from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. However, four of the committeemembers — Reps. Gordon Denlinger (R-99th Dist.), John Galloway (D-140th Dist.), See HB 300, Page 16
SPEEDING FORWARD: Calcutta House’s April 24 “Night Train to Calcutta” fundraising event brought together about 170 supporters of the HIV/AIDS housing organization, including event co-chairs Jody Marcell (from left), Elizabeth Nourian and Jill Demmy (far right) and Calcutta director of development and communications Heather Osborne. The fundraiser, held at the Merion Tribute House in Merion Station, raised about $60,000 for Calcutta House. During the event, Calcutta officials announced the organization’s new fundraising initiative — a gift club that encourages donors to contribute certain monetary amounts on an annual basis — which brought in an additional $35,000. Photo: Scott A. Drake
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
HONK FOR HIV TESTING: Planned Parenthood volunteers Nina Orris (from left), Jessa Goldstein and Michael Form encouraged passersby at Broad and Walnut streets to get themselves tested for sexually transmitted diseases April 28, one of the last days of National STD Awareness Month. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Get Yourself Tested campaign — which will continue throughout the year — was aimed at raising public awareness about the spread and prevention of STDs among people 25 years and younger. Besides this week’s Burma Shave on Broad Street, the campaign included community health fairs and educational programs at local schools. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Obama’s 100-day gay report card By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Wednesday marked the 100th day since President Obama took the oath of office and, for the national LGBT community, never-before-experienced access to and inclusion in the federal government — although the community still awaits the appointment of an openly gay individual to the president’s cabinet. Since taking office, Obama has appointed at least 35 openly LGBT individuals to federal posts. Nine of those employees were nominated for positions that required Senate confirmation, making Obama the first president ever to choose LGBT individuals for such positions within the first 100 days of the presidency. Among the top LGBT appointments are John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management; Fred Hochberg as chair of the ExportImport Bank; Kathy Martinez as assistant secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy;
Marisa Demeo as associate judge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Nancy Sutley as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; and Mercedes Marquez as the assistant secretary for community planning and development and Raphael Bostic as assistant secretary for policy development and research, both at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additionally, the administration has expressed it adheres to a hiring practice that does not allow for discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Obama administration’s inclusion of the LGBT community has also extended beyond employment opportunities. In the past three months, scores of LGBT community leaders have been invited to the White House for a series of mainstream events. On Feb. 18, Joe Solmonese, executive director of the See REPORT CARD, Page 17
In a City Hall press conference April 29, Mayor Nutter announced that a former executive director of a local LGBT organization had been indicted for misappropriation of funds. Nutter and U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid announced that Dorena Kearney, former executive director of The COLOURS Organization Inc., had been indicted on charges that she stole $138,000 from the group for her personal use. Kearney is accused of using the funding for plastic surgery, a cruise and dog grooming — what Nutter spokesperson Maura Kennedy called the “most egregious examples” of the misappropriation. City Inspector General Amy Kurland, who spearheaded the investigation, said Kearney used the money “basically for a shopping spree.”
DORENA KEARNEY
“COLOURS was receiving both city and federal funding, so the money that she allegedly embezzled from the organization would have been both city and federal,” Kurland said. The presence of the federal funding allowed for the FBI to get involved with the investigation. See INDICTMENT, Page 16