The calm before Storm
Family Portrait: Azeem Hill
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LGBT rights leaders meet with state and federal groups
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June 15-21, 2012
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Vol. 36 No. 24
ACT UP members detained at Obama protest
PA Dems back marriage equality
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
During President Obama’s visit to Philadelphia this week, members of ACT UP called on him to step up his leadership for people with HIV/AIDS. W h i l e t h e p r e s ident was meeting with recently graduated seniors from Science Leadership Academy at the Franklin Institute Tuesday evening, ACT UP unfurled a banner at a neighboring parking garage that read: ACT UP “Obama: Homes not ACTIVISTS Graves for People with PROTEST PRESIDENT AIDS. Tax Wall Street; OBAMA’S Treat the People.” Officials from the PHILLY VISIT JUNE 12 Photo: Department of Homeland
Democratic leaders from throughout Pennsylvania lent their voices to the fight for marriage equality last weekend. The Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee — comprised of elected Democratic leaders from counties across the state — adopted a resolution last Saturday at its summer meeting in Valley Forge stating its support for marriage equality. The measure was spearheaded by out Adams County Democratic Chair Roger Lund. Among its provisions, the resolution stated that the Pennsylvania Democratic Party officially endorsed “freedom to marry” and called upon all Democratic lawmakers to sign on to legislation backing marriage equality. It urged all Pennsylvania delegates to September’s Democratic National Convention to back the addition of a marriage-equality plank when the party platform is adopted, and also advocated for Jim Burns, chair of the PAGE 16
Courtesy of ACT UP
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Both sides appeal in Ravi sentence
HOW YOU DOIN’?: Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter presented television personality Wendy Williams with her Liberty Bell Award before a packed house Sunday at Penn’s Landing. Williams, the headliner for the 24th annual Pride, answered pre-submitted questions and gave away VIP tickets to her show. Williams, who enjoyed an Ishkabibble’s cheesesteak and fries before heading back to New York, also mentioned Philadelphia’s Pride festival on Monday’s episode. Photo: Scott A. Drake
SPECIAL POST-PRIDE PULLOUT SECTION, PAGES 21-28
Boy Scouts: Policy change not in the works
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Both sides in the landmark cyber-bullying case of Tyler Clementi have appealed Dharun Ravi’s 30-day prison sentence. Last month, prosecutors appealed the sentence, and on June 4 defense attorney Steven Altman filed his own notice of intent to appeal. New Jersey Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman handed down his sentence last month after a jury found Ravi guilty of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. In September 2010, Ravi remotely tapped into his webcam and saw Clementi, his roommate at Rutgers University, in a sexual encounter with another man. Ravi invited others to watch and later unsuccessfully attempted to broadcast a second incident live on the PAGE 16
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
BROAD STREET BRIGADE: Queer women and their supporters marched along Broad Street last Saturday for the annual Dyke March. Organizers said about 500 people turned out for the event, which kicked off at Kahn Park and wended its way through Center City, embarking on a new route that for the first time took marchers onto Broad. A pre-march rally included speakers and performers. Photo: Tara Lessard
After a flurry of news reports last week that the Boy Scouts of America organization was moving closer to changing its ban on openly gay members, the agency clarified that such a change was not likely. “Contrary to media reports, the Boy Scouts of America has no plans to change its membership policy,” said a statement posted on the organization’s site last Thursday. It had been reported the night before that the agency intended to review its policy and may allow local chapters the discretion to accept openly gay members and leaders. In April, a Scouting member submitted a resolution — which BSA said expresses that person’s individual views — calling
for such a policy change, and the agency assigned that measure to a committee for consideration May 31. The committee will present a report on the resolution to the National Executive Board next May. However, BSA clarified that resolutions calling for the repeal of its antigay policy are not uncommon. “The introduction of a resolution does not indicate the organization is ‘reviewing’ a policy or signal a change in direction,” BSA stated. BSA spokesperson Deron Smith told PGN last week that there have been “a few” resolutions calling for the repeal of the policy over the years, as well as resolutions requesting the agency reaffirm the policy. “Whenever a resoluPAGE 20