Philadelphia Gay News
LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976 | VOL. 43 NO. 23 | JUNE 7-13, 2019| Philadelphia Lights up for Pride
Family Portrait: Stephanie Love
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| HONESTY | INTEGRITY | PROFESSIONALISM |
Gay Newspapers and Gay Liberation
Road to Stonewall: Joe Beam
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Local orgs present at secondPride float honoring Stonewall annual LGBTQ State of the Union activists commemorates 50 years By Laura Smythe PGN Contributor
Day of Visibility. The office soon plans to announce a new police policy on interaction with Philadelphia’s second-annual LGBTQ transgender individuals, Hikes said, State of the Union drew hundreds of activ- describing it as “a complete overhaul.” ists, nonprofit leaders, community mem- “Philadelphia will have, without a bers and allies to the Kimmel Center this doubt, one of the most progressive police policies with trans individuals in the week. Representatives from 10 local LGBTQ entire country,” she added. The new policy is organizations prebeing created in the sented seven-minaftermath of more vioute lightning talks lence in the trans comMonday evening on munity. Last month, accomplishments Tameka Michelle from the last fiscal Washington became year and goals for the at least the sixth trannext. swoman of color Philadelphia is the to be murdered in only city in the counPhiladelphia in as many try that holds this years. type of event, said “It’s our duty together Amber Hikes, execas Philadelphians, as utive director of the queer folks, to forever Mayor’s Office of AMBER HIKES Photo: Kelly Burkhardt point the way toward LGBT Affairs. Throughout the year, Hikes’ office true inclusion to magnify the voices of those backed two bills modifying gendered who are still the most marginalized,” Hikes marital language in city tax codes, pro- said, “and to embrace tightly the power of vided testimony mandating sexual-ha- our diversity that makes Philadelphia such rassment training for city employees and an incredible place to live, to work and to supported a resolution recognizing Trans love.” PAGE 59
Photo: Laura Smyte
By Laura Smythe PGN Contributor
A 34-foot-long float outfitted in a rainbow of thousands of flowers and more than a million golden fabric eyelashes will carry five Stonewall-era LGBTQ activists through Philadelphia’s Pride parade June 9. The hand-painted “Philadelphia Pioneers
on the Road to Stonewall” float commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The featured activists will include Paul Kuntzler, John James, Randy Wicker and Mark Segal, who will ride alongside younger members of the LGBTQ community. Susan Silverman will likely appear as the fifth and, if unable, will be represented, PAGE 38 said Segal.
Suspect in slaying of transwoman and activist to stand trial By Laura Smythe PGN Contributor
The North Philadelphia man charged with murdering transwoman and activist Tameka Michelle Washington last month signed a statement saying he shot her during an altercation surrounding an alleged gun sale, Homicide Detective John Harkins testified at a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Troy Bailey, 28, gave police the statement in the evening of May 20 describing a dispute in which he met Washington — who he knew as “Michelle” — to sell her a gun for her boyfriend for $600. When Washington didn’t have the funds, she allegedly responded “suck my dick,” and
pulled out a black folding pocket knife, and Bailey shot her, Harkins said, reading from a written summary of Bailey’s video confession that was not played in court. Washington, 40, died May 19 at 5:33 a.m. at Temple University Hospital after sustaining three gunshot wounds — one to the head and two to the torso. No pocket knife was found at the crime scene on the 3400 block of North 11th Street, Harkins said. Around 6:10 a.m., Bailey showed up at the crime scene to retrieve his cell phone, which he left there. He identified himself as a witness to police and willingly followed them, along with his girlfriend Ayana Coulter, 29, to provide testimony, which he signed.
That evening, Coulter provided her own account and police noticed discrepancies in the two stories, Harkins said. This made Bailey become a suspect and prompted a search of his home on the 1100 block of West Venango Street. Detectives discovered a magazine and gun box for a Taurus 9mm handgun in Bailey’s bedroom, said Harkins, who led the search. Using serial numbers found on the gun box, police traced the gun back to Coulter. Police proceeded to search Coulter’s home, on the 4800 block of North Broad Street, where they found a gun of the same type on top of a kitchen cabinet with the serial numbers scratched off, Harkins said. Four fired casings from a 9mm were dis-
covered at the crime scene, the detective testified. Being confronted with the police’s discovery of the firearm prompted Bailey to confess to the shooting, Harkins said. The gun has been processed for fingerprints, swabbed for DNA and will undergo ballistic tests. Defense attorney Shawn Kendricks Page Sr. drew attention to how the serial number found on the gun box in Bailey’s bedroom was registered to Coulter, both Coulter and Bailey returned to the crime scene after Washington’s death and the gun was found in Coulter’s house. When asked if Coulter knew Washington, Harkins said Coulter “knows of” her. Judge Wendy Pew ruled PAGE 51